Time Vol 2 Winter Spring, After Two It's Three
by raelee514
Summary: Volume 2 of the Time Changes Things Series, Continuing the romance of Lance and Allura, as well as the Voltron Forces plans to get back Voltron and prove that Sky Marshall Wade is the saboteur, with them all undercover in their own ways.
1. Chapter 1

Voltron is owned by WEP, I just like to have fun with Lance (and everyone else)

Yes this is Volume Two of the Time Changes Things Series, I'm shortening it to Time in the title though.

Any chapter over T will be noted as before.

One

It was the day of three important three things. One, Larmina was turning twelve; the boys longer furlough than usual on Arus after the events on Xios couldn't have more well times, Allura thought. Hunk and Pidge had taken Larmina into the Village of Lions, more a city these days than the small village it'd been when the team had first arrived and started to help Arus to rebuild, to shop for her party. Not a one of them was willing to risk guessing what theme she would she want. They'd gone all out last year to make sure it was sports themed to have her wail at them they wanted to be like her friends and have a princess theme - it'd been during a week long experiment she'd done on conformity from what Allura could tell. It'd ended quickly, but her birthday fell during it, it'd been a disaster. Larmina was a handful to say the least, but they all adored her. Allura smiled as she finished wrapping up the last of Larmina's gifts.

As she moved them over toward the table closer to her door, her eyes fell on an old picture of her and Keith and her thoughts went to the other day it was. Today marked the anniversary - if you wanted to call it that, of Keith going AWOL and making himself a fugitive from the Galaxy Alliance control. She sighed, their reunion on Xios had been, fraught to say the least, she thought. He'd 'kidnapped' her the very moment she realized that Lance was the man she loved, that she wanted to be with for the rest of her life. She hadn't even realized it was him until he'd made her look at him and even then she'd paid him no attention, because pure terror was her own driving force at that moment. Allura had never been more frightened in her life than when she thought Lance could possibly be dead and that he'd never know how much she loved and needed him.

Which brought another smile to her face and she started to hum, she didn't know what she was humming, but she noticed she kept humming it lately when she was thinking about Lance. Tonight, after the cake was eaten and Larmina was put in her pajamas, he was taking her out on their first official date. He was being very tightlipped about it too, not letting her know a thing. He'd just said to wear one of her backless, short skirted numbers and a pair of her sexy shoes she couldn't kick ass in because they made her teeter like a klutz. She'd laughed and tried to get more out of him but he refused to tell a thing. Allura wanted to know what he had planned, she wanted to do something for him too, but he wanted it to be all about him doing something for her.

She would just have to do something for him at a later date she supposed, maybe he'd let her plan out the second date.

Allura frowned, though at the way the days were burning away already, she would have to wait for the next weekend for it. She sighed, shook her head and refused to even consider worrying about how they were going to pull off a relationship with him at the GA Academy and her on Arus most of the time. They were both young, determined and very resourceful people. Mostly, though she just wished he could stay home, she wished they all could stay home. Her bedroom door chimed and she since she was right by the door, she just hit the open button and smiled when saw Farla standing on the other side.

"Hello, Princess Allura," Farla said and she was holding a green gift bag. "I, um, I wanted to show you what I got Larmina. I just, she was very sweet coming in to visit me as much as did, when I was in the coma and after. She wanted to know what it was like to order around a bunch a men, mostly. So, I wasn't sure just what to buy her for her birthday."

Allura nodded. "She is tricky, come in and please just call me Allura."

"Sorry," Farla said. "I should understand you want that, I get so tired of the Lady Farla crap myself," she said as rummaged in the bag, through the tissue. "I let them gift wrap, does it count as gift wrap if its in a bag? Then she pulled out a football. I heard that Arus has a new football team, so I figured she might like one?"

Allura nodded. "She'll love it."

"Whew," Farla said. "That's one thing right at least."

Allura studied Farla's face. She'd made great strides since waking up, but she still didn't remember what had happened to make her fly to Arus, under such awful conditions that her own soldiers were told to fire on her. Their leader. Allura also thought she looked too thin, still and like she wasn't sleeping well. "What's wrong?"

"I just, I keep trying to remember. I feel it's so important."

"Don't push yourself, Farla, please," Allura said. "That is the last thing, I or Lance want."

Farla, nodded. "I haven't seen him at all today, where is he?"

Allura was surprised to here that. Since they'd returned one of the first things Lance did everyday was check in with Farla, make sure was okay, that she was following doctor's orders and that she wasn't pushing herself. "I don't know," Allura said not being to hide her smile. "He has plans for us tonight."

Farla grinned. "Oh, right. Tonight is the date. The special Allura Only Date."

"Oh, what did he tell you!"

"That he had to come up with something unique because you already knew all his moves from him talking to you about past dates, and the fact he used your telling him about the constellations to use that to get girls. Which is just... well cute really?" Farla said, blushing.

Allura felt a weird surge of guilt, she did feel like she'd come between their chance or something, she didn't know. She wasn't worried about it, she knew where Lance stood and Farla hadn't said or shown any upset at all about them being a couple. Yet, Allura knew that they had the missed moment thing there. "He is oddly endearing," she said.

"That's a word for it," Farla said. "When he showed up Lyra, I didn't know what to make of him, he was stealing our honey like it was there for snacking. Asking for the flowers to heal his people and the sick princess. I thought he was so arrogant. Then we get to King, and there is Prince Lotor, and it's all true but we aren't going to help them, and he Lotor fought. Then Lotor was destroying everything and I thought I was going to die. I threw him to wolves and he saved me."

"They do that. All of them," Allura said, feeling a surge pride as she thought of Lance, Keith, Pidge and Hunk.

"You too, I think?"

Allura blushed. "I only think of myself in terms of Arus, mostly. I mean I'd help anyone out."

Farla gave her a look of understanding.

Allura went back to her original goal. "Did he tell you what he has planned?"

"No," Farla said. "I asked, I wanted to know. But he said I might tell you, it'd be some girl talk thing and he wants you to be surprised."

Allura groaned. "Damn him."

Farla laughed.

Allura then picked up her bundle of presents for Larmina. Farla looked at them and Allura sighed. "I have to give her the traditional Arusian gift for her twelve birthday which is a copy of Arusian Fairy Tales, which she is going to unwrap and go: Ooh book, in her fake happy voice. Then she is growing like a weed, so needed to buy her clothes, which is also going to open and find totally boring. So really the only present she is going to care about is the computer program I got her that will enable her to do something with the music she makes and the videos she makes and merge them... I don't really know, I asked Pidge what it was she meant she wanted and he gave me the name of what to buy."

"Whew, and I thought I had it hard trying to figure it out," Farla said.

"The boys usually do a great job, they get her stuff they'd buy for themselves if they were still kids, which what I think they all are anyway."

Farla giggled.

"Coran, however as usual, his present is likely to be a dud. And Nanny, bless her, I love her but what she sent is going to go in her closet and never be seen again."

"What is it?"

"A pink frilly dress," Allura shook her head. "Nanny sends the same present every year. Different dresses of course, but still. I think she's also yelling at me when she does it, since I don't wear them anymore either."

They rounded a corner and saw Lance walking with a huge box in his arms ahead of them. "Hey," they both called out.

Lance turned around to see who was there, but when he did, he couldn't see anything because of the box. Then he lowered the box, and peeked over it, all they could see were his bangs, eyebrows and a bit of his eyes. "Hey, it's my favorite two ladies of the Castle."

Allura stared at the box. "What is in that?"

"Uh huh, this is top secret."

Allura frowned. "That's not for Larmina?"

"Larmina's present is already in the room, next to the table that is designated for her presents. By the way, Coran got her three books. Three, and they are huge, she's going to give him the stink eye for three months."

"By the table?"

"By the table," Lance repeated. "So, I gotta go get this box elsewhere."

Allura resisted the urge to reach out with with her voltcom whip and grab the box, because all she would do is cut it in half anyway and what if something really amazing was in there and she broke it? She stared after him though, alternating between trying to guess what could be in the box and looking at his ass.

"That is a good ass," Farla said.

Allura eyed her for a minute and Farla shrugged. "I'm just saying, Allura, besides I doubt he'd noticed even I wanted to steal him."

The guilt came back and before she knew Allura blurted out, "Are you sure you don't want too? I mean I know you two, there was, you two just kept missing..."

"Never connecting right time. No, we never did. On Lyra we have a saying, When the petal falls that is where it is."

Allura cocked her head to the side.

"It basically means, somethings are what they are for reason. Things happen the way they do because that is how nature intended them to be, the petal fell on the grass there because that was where it was going to fall. I was sad when I realized I lost my chance. But I wasn't surprised. I never really thought it happen in the first place, he was just always a great fantasy."

Allura nodded then jealousy kicked in. "Good, he can a stay fantasy."

Farla laughed outright. "Of course. I'll never mention his ass again."

"What's in the box?"

"Rose petals?"

"Not very Lance like," Allura said. "What in the world would he need a box that big for, and Larmina's gift is next to the table... how big is that!" Allura picked up speed toward the room they'd decided to have Larmina's party in. It was usually used to hold smaller conferences and it was the perfect size for a party for a twelve year old and had door leading outside. It was nearing the end of autumn on Arus, and was nippy out but Allura didn't think the children invited or Larmina would care one bit.

Walking in she noticed Larmina had picked the sports theme they'd done last year, she shook her head. It was different decorations but the same theme and Hunk and Pidge gone completely out and probably over indulged her on some of the party favors. Little kids were already running all over the place and their parents were by the punch bowls talking in low voices. Pidge was at a DJ booth, probably his own, pumping out music that had probably been pre-approved by Larmina at some point. Hunk was on the floor in the middle of all the children.

She and Farla went to deposit their gifts on the table and Allura found the even bigger box Lance had placed next to it. She walked around it, giving it a wary look. Hunk came up to her with Larmina on his shoulders. "I want to start a football game outside, but I need a football. Someone had better gotten me a football!" Larmina announced.

Hunk gave Allura a worried look, Allura let him know without tipping Larmina not to worry. Farla looked a bit like she'd won the lottery for a second. "Hunk put me down!"

Hunk put Larmina back down on her feet, she raced off to the newest arrivals of kids from the town her age that she knew. Allura smiled, thankful that Larmina had friends her own age, it was something she could give her niece who had lost so much at least. You were supposed to try to give the next generation more than you had had. It beat playing with Castle mice on birthday.

She eyed Lance's gift again. "Hunk, what is that?" she asked.

Hunk grinned. "Oh, that's a great gift. It's combat simulator, I think he's been saving up for months for that thing. It does every martial art known to man, from basic to master levels. It's good for her hand to hand training since she really lacks a consistent sparring partner. Plus you know how she loves it. I made her a remote controlled blue lion to fly around, hoping if she likes it it might lead to her not whining about having to go into the simulator. I don't know what Pidge got her, but I think it's a bunch of music he put on a disk or something. Stuff she can't get here."

Allura nodded.

"But the football," Hunk said.

"Farla got the football," Allura said.

Hunk looked at Farla, Farla grinned at Hunk. Hunk swooped down, picked up Farla in a bear hug and whooped almost directly in her ear. Allura cringed a bit, but mostly she was laughing. Farla laughed too, though she moved her head as far from Hunk's face as she could get her head.

"Life saver, you are!" Hunk said letting her go. "I'm going back to kids now, they really know how to party."

Allura was about to turn to Farla to ask her if she wanted any punch when she caught sight of Pidge, waving both her and Hunk over to the DJ Booth. "Excuse me," she said to Farla, and made her way over to Pidge.

Pidge leaned down and said. "Got an incoming message from Stalker to the Den, I'm rerouting to the room next door, Lance is on his way there. Give me a minute to hand over control to Larmina."

Allura gave him a look.

"I promised her whenever I took a break she got to DJ, it's her birthday," Pidge shrugged.

Allura sighed.

Pidge moved a apple crate over to where he was standing and spoke into the microphone. "Birthday girl to the DJ Booth Please. Your skills are needed, Princess Larmina."

Allura and Hunk, slipped out the room, Lance was already in the other room. He instantly walked over to her and gave her a kiss hello. "Would've done that before, but big box," he explained.

"Where have you been all day?" she whispered. "Farla said you didn't even see her?"

He looked guilty. "I'm going to check on her, soon, actually. Making a point of it, but I had a lot I needed to do. I had to pick up Larmina's present, figure out to wrap the damn thing. And then Operation Allura Date has been keeping me busy."

"I could help if you..."

"Nice try, but no way, Baby!" he said, grabbing a lock her hair and twisting it around his index finger.

Pidge came into the room and went to the computer console in the room. He pushed a few buttons, then used his voltcom to create a holographic screen. Keith's face come up in full view of them all, they all watched him blink and go. "Oh, wow, hey. Why are all dressed up?"

"Larmina's birthday," they all said.

"Riight, crap. uh, I'll figure something out there...uh. I just wanted to uh. Say hi."

"Hi!" they all waved.

Allura then stepped forward, wondering exactly when their propensity to default to sarcasm happened. "It's good to see your face, where are you?"

"Don't think I should say, it's best... Look, on Xios I realized how much I miss you guys, and I want you to know, I get it's been two years and it's still going on. But I'm going to find Black Lion. You guys will get the keys to the others lions, we'll get Wade. I just wanted too, you know, say there is no giving up."

"Never," they all said.

"Uh, could I talk to Allura alone?"

"Sure, Keith, let me just switch her to the computer console."

Allura and Lance exchanged a glance, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. She smiled up at him as he turned slapped Hunk on the back. "What is all over you?" he asked looking at his hand. "Are you rolling around on the floor? Of course you are it's a twelve year old birthday party, it's your age group."

Allura walked over to the console, thanked Pidge and sat down in a nearby chair and looked down at Keith's face. "Yes?"

"How are you?"

"I'm," she cut herself short her mind trying to find a diplomatic word to not hurt his feelings too much, yet that wasn't being honest and he was one of her dearest most treasured friends. She sighed. "I'm wonderful. You?"

Keith sighed. "Wonderful," he repeated. "You look, wonderful too."

"Thank you," she said, blushing a bit. "Keith, I..."

"No," he held up a hand. "I'm just... I want to fight for you but I'm not there. Which makes fighting for you rather impossible, doesn't it?"

Allura nodded and she grew a little worried. "Keith, fighting for me while it's flattering..."

"Right, you love him."

"I do," she said.

"Right. Be careful. Uh, don't let him be too..."

"Keith you be careful," Allura said. "You're the one out there with no back up, please. Watch your back."

"Always. I should go, we've already been talking too long. I...bye Allura."

Allura sighed as his face flickered out view, it broke her heart but in the way her younger self ever would have imagined. She was heartbroken for him instead of about him. She would just have to pray and hope he found a way to move forward and accept things for how they happened.

She got up and walked back into the party just in time to see Lance pick up Larmina and toss her on his shoulder, as Hunk had another kid, some boy whose name Allura didn't know on his. Then the four of them collided, with Larmina and the boy doing some sort of weird wrestling match, while Pidge from the DJ booth commented. She shook her head and scanned the crowd for Farla, it was nice having another woman around, she had to admit.


	2. Chapter 2

Two

Lance made his way over to the old log by the lake, where Farla was sitting her legs crossed under her, arms bent behind her, back arched as she stared straight up in the large arusian flowering tree that was shading the area around her. Larmina was currently was informing everyone that the children could now play football quite well without them, thank you very much. He'd made sure, Hunk and Pidge had seen he was taking off as Allura had gotten cornered by a couple of the parents who thought of themselves as town spokespeople was now trapped in Princess duty mode; which she was handling fabulously and he had to resist the urge to rescue her from because she'd get pissed even if she secretly did find at times find it taxing.

He sat up on the log next her and brushed off some dirt off his black dress pants and rolled his eyes at the fact they had to get dressed up for a Princess's birthday when said Princess made them roll around in the dirt. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," Farla said back not moving.

"Are you communicating with the flowers?" he asked, half kidding and half serious because he'd seen Lyrans with their roses, it looked more like they whispered and spoke to the flowers than tended and cared for them at times.

Farla shook her head. "Just enjoying the the bright red color of the flowers, against the green leaves and the blue sky. It's quite vibrant."

Lance leaned back and looked up. She had a point, he guessed, he'd never been told he had an artistic eye though, so he doubted he was really seeing it the way she did. She'd been drawing things around the Castle gardens for weeks now and he had a inkling they were better than just good. But how much he didn't know. "I spoke with the Alliance soldiers on Lyra today," he said.

Farla's posture immediately straightened and she sat up and looked right at him. "Yes?"

"No actually charges were drawn up against you, Early made his complaint, he ordered the soldiers, they had orders to follow his orders from Wade...but when Wade heard about it, I guess he decided to drop it. He told your government to do as they wished."

"And?"

"Reprimand on your record, but when you feel medical sound to return home, you will be put back in charge of your guardian squad."

"That seems to easy," Farla said.

Lance shook his head. "Early's off Lyra. He cleaned up the office and his laboratory; one of the men in your squad let me know he took a lot of seedlings, and seeds with him though. But he's gone somewhere else to finish whatever it is he started. Wade's just making sure nothing tracks back to him, and he's hoping you don't remember. So less he presses you, just lets you go forward, the better."

Farla frowned, her hands went to her temples and she started to rub them. "Wish I could just remember. Your doctors even tried some pills they have but nothing."

Lance pulled her hand away and just gave her a look.

Farla shook her head at him. "If I don't try how will I remember."

Lance shrugged.

"The neurologist and traumatic memory specialist have a few other therapy ideas, some other things to try. All out patient, so I'm going to stay here on Allura's hospitality a few more weeks. I can't remember but I just know it was something important, it was so important I felt Voltron Force needed to know about it right away. It was... I feel like it was even more than that, like it was personal to me like what I saw effected me personally in some way. Maybe that is why I'm so blocked?"

"Maybe," Lance said. "Maybe Early threatened you?"

Farla sighed. "I don't know, he must have seen me, otherwise why the chase all the way here. I'm a pretty sucky pilot too, we're all about hand to hand with spears and swords on Lyra."

Lance nodded, "Maybe you could work with Larmina, a bit. You could use some exercise," he nudged her. "Have any cake yet?"

"Not yet," she said.

He gave her another look.

"You know if you just start asking me when I'm going to settle down with a nice man and start having babies, you'd be doing a great impersonation of my mother."

Lance frowned, then sighed and bend his head back again to look at the flowers, the leaves and the sky. "Geesh, I guy just wants to make sure his friend is taking care of herself after she crash lands and he makes her a target by having her speak against Alliance the stance on Voltron."

Farla laughed. "Wade can't take away my right to speech. He really can't. Not like I'm the only Lyran with those believes anyway, though a lot of them really hate you now, and others don't believe for a second you have turned your back on anything."

Lance shrugged. "Truth will come out someday, until then I don't care if people think I'm the devil or worse than Zarkon. As long as we keep people as safe as we can, get Wade out of office and Voltron back in the field where he belongs."

They fell quiet for, after a moment or two Farla said, "Allura is really chomping at the bit to know what you have planned tonight?" Farla said.

Lance grinned, glanced over to where he'd left and found her still stuck talking to the two townspeople, but she caught his eye so he sent her wink. She tried to pretend she didn't see it but he knew she did the minute her head ducked down for a split second in a moment of modesty. "I'm nervous," he admitted looking over at Farla. "I mean, it was freaking hard to figure out what the hell to do, I've been on a lot of dates. I've done about anything that can be done on a date. But Allura she deserves something special... I think I pulled it off."

Farla smiled. "You know she would be just happy with dinner and a movie."

Lance shook his head. "Has to be better than that, Farla. It's our official first day, it's important, mean what if it's bad? Could ruin everything," he said with a smile and shrug but then he looked off at lake and really hoped it went perfect.

"You're scared if it doesn't go right it will change things?" Farla asked, reaching out and touching his arm. "Lance?"

He looked down, he took a breathe and he looked at Farla. "We didn't exactly plan to get together. It just sort of happened, I mean it snuck up on me and her. It was... I don't know what happened, one day I was her best friend and the next I couldn't stop wanting to touch her. Or hold her, or look at her, or talk to her. And she felt the same way and it was definitely more than lust but it was lust... and how it became love beats the hell out of me. Especially for her. So yeah, I don't want to mess this up. It was really sudden, then we were in this majorly intense situation on Xios."

"It is not that hard to see why she fell for you, Lance. Somehow I think whatever is you planned for tonight is going to make her happy, no matter what."

Lance smiled and looked over at Allura again. "Don't those people ever shut up?" he asked, Farla. "Okay, you know what I let them talk to her about whatever important town or Aruisan government thing they needed her attention for, enough is enough." He stood up but he looked back down at Farla. "Promise me cake, soon, or I will find you and shove it in your face."

Farla laughed but nodded.

Lance made his way back over toward the doorway back into the room where the birthday party had started, which was where Allura had been cornered. He didn't think she'd made it more than a few steps outside. As he walked up he caught a few sentences about crops, harvesting and the levies and taxes, the imports from the southern villages. Lance didn't know how Allura's gorgeous blue eyes hadn't glossed over from boredom, but he knew she took her title, her birthright very seriously. He stepped into her space, and wrapped his arms around her from behind and simply said. "You look cold."

"A little," Allura said, lying, he knew she was lying she felt warm against him as she moved into his hold. But it did the trick.

"Oh, Princess, we're sorry we didn't mean to keep you in the the chill year in your dress, you must have a jacket you left inside?"

"Yes, yes, sorry, please, excuse me. Thank you for listening, Princess Allura."

"Yes, Princess Allura, you are gracious as always," the woman said and she and the man turned around and walked towards the football game to watch the kids.

"Thank you. And thank you for not rescuing me right away, I really did have to hear what they had to say."

"I try," Lance said kissing her cheek and letting. "Want to watch the game?"

"Well, first we have to get me coat or a light sweater or something, now that I've lied about feeling a chill. Even though I'm kind of liking how cool it feels out right now. I love autumn, but I am looking forward to winter." Allura grinned.

"You love all the seasons, you're consistently one of the happiest people I know," Lance said. "Okay, lets go find you something throw on that won't make you too warm," he grabbed her hand and led her back inside.

When they got out into the hallway of the Castle and started toward her room, Allura nudged him with her hip. "A hint, please? Just anything, just give me a hint?"

Lance laughed, squeezed the hand he was still holding and shook his head.

"You're mean."

"Mean? Because I don't want to spoil the surprise?" Lance rolled his eyes at her.

Allura pushed in the code to her room. "Fine, you're right, it's not mean, but it's aggravating."

"You're sexy when you're aggravated," Lance said grabbing her by the hip and pulling her in for long, hard passionate kiss. He couldn't get enough of her, she was perfect and she tasted like chocolate cake today which was a bonus. Pulling back he grinned wolfishly. "Chocolate cake, yum."

Allura stared up at him with flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips, and stuck her tongue out him. "You had the strawberry pie," she grinned.

"I did," he said.

"How was Farla?"

"You talked to her, you know?"

Allura nodded as she extricated herself from his arms, with a bit of a struggle, since he decided to not make it easy, he kept grabbing her and kissing her wherever he could find skin. She slapped his hands, and pushed. She then walked into her closet, which was basically the size of Lance's room in the castle and started to go through light throws for over a dress, to decide what went with the dress she had on. "She still knows you and trusts you more than me."

"She's, something about what she saw, what upset her that made her come here it was personal as well as important to us. I don't know what that means but I think that is why she's so unsettled still. Why she's willing to try whatever experimental thing the doctors are coming with. If I didn't trust Arusian medicine and the doctors here so much I would be more worried."

"Did you tell her the good/bad news?"

"Yeah, she thought it felt too easy."

"If you didn't think Wade was covering his ass with whisking Early somewhere else, yeah, it looks that way," Allura said, finally pulling something out and throwing it on. "I don't think this will make me too warm."

"Might if I keep doing this," Lance said, grabbing her from behind and pushing her forward, walking with his arms wrapped around her the back. "Maybe we should just stay here."

"No, we have to go back out there," Allura laughed, managing to turn around in his arms and kissing him before pulling back just before he was about to deepen it. "Nope, no more of that until our date," she laughed, shoving him hard and taking off ahead of him.

He watched take off toward her door, enjoying her grace as she moved in the dress and shoes she'd worn for the birthday party, her long hair, her wide smile. "Still not giving you any hints," he said, quickly following her back to Larmina's party.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Pidge sat down in the control room chair, he'd never felt more worn out in his life, he was sure of it. Larmina and her friends were worse than a 24 hour battle against robeasts and Lotor's forces he thought. Worse than being stuck on a 24 hour shift with people he had to pretend with that he was fine at being back on Earth, working under Wade's watchful eye, constantly being questioned. "Are you really, okay with Voltron's 'retirement?'" As the nicer people put the fact Voltron was out of commission and considered dangerous to the Alliance.

He sighed, wiped his eyes and tried to remember just why he'd volunteered to be on duty in the control room, right after Larmina's party, while he was on a break from his really menial job at the Alliance Academy, that he was highly over qualified for. He sighed and pulled out his small computer, homemade and full of his own programs.

He heard, and felt someone take the chair next to him as he booted up the drives on his computer. He then looked up and saw a thin guy, about his own age - it was happening more and more lately, people he worked with being his own age. He wondered if it was weird he found it disconcerting, strange and that it made him feel old. At nineteen he felt old, he stifled a shy, not wanting the Arusian soldier to think he didn't like him or something and smiled a hello.

The soldier looked at him with wide eyes, as he logged himself onto the control room computer, and typed in a few things on automatic pilot. "Uh, no offense, Tech Seargeant Pidge, but why are you covering for my usual partner, tonight?"

"I volunteered too," Pidge said.

"Why would you do that?"

Pidge laughed. "I was wondering that myself, I guess I missed the control room."

The soldier laughed at him. "I'm Lieutenant Heddar."

Pidge sat up straighter at that, he knew that name. "You're the guy who kept an eye on Farla, for Lance. Thank you...Felix, right?"

Felix blushed and nodded. "It wasn't hard, she was in a coma through most of it."

"You did more than had to do, he, and all of us appreciated it," Pidge said. "Farla's spoken highly of you as well."

Felix shrugged.

Pidge watched him for a moment or two longer, realizing he was staring a bit too much, when his brain was trying to find the right color to classify Felix's skin tone by. Arusian's tended to be between a #FEF0DB, a peach tone and a #FCD59C a bread tone, Allura herself was on the pale peach side. Felix seemed to be on the darker bready side, and that was the thought that had Pidge clearing his throat, and looking back down at his small computer and going back into his encryption codes for the game he was inventing.

"Did you make that? Is it a whole computer system? Those codes are insane?" Felix was saying.

"Yeah, yes, they're really quite simple," he said, looking back up to see Felix give him that look he'd been getting all his life. The look that said, what you think is simple is not, Pidge.

"I've never seen anything that encrypted in my life? Is that totally your own code?"

"Of course, I wouldn't use anything else, would you?"

"If I had anything to encrypt. I guess not, no."

"I'm inventing a gaming system, It'll be the Lions as avatars, to put underground. As a way to judge how many people still have hope and believe in Voltron. In us."

Felix's eyes widened. "Really?"

Pidge nodded.

"Wow, how are creating the avatars for the Lions?"

"Well," Pidge dived into a mathematical theory he was applying to the computer program he'd designed and he was thrilled to see Felix could keep up with him - somewhat anyway.

~~.~~

Lance wiped his hands his jeans, his favorite pair of jeans, comfortable worn, they had holes in the knees. Allura was going to be pissed she was all dressed up and he wasn't, but it was part of the fun, plus he had a change of clothes for her, all set and ready. It helped she kept forgetting stuff in his room back at the Academy. It was crazy, there had only been one or two trips back and forth since Xios for them but already he'd left things in her room in the Castle, she'd left more than enough in his room. He really didn't have much room left in his closet for her to forget much more. Not that he cared.

He looked around the room, it was only the first stop in the evening, he took in a big breathe and checked that the stereo he'd carried up earlier that he'd borrowed from Pidge was set up correctly. He wanted to make sure the timer was set correctly, because if it wasn't playing music when he walked her into the room, the whole ambiance ruined. He doubled checked all the settings, the CD that Pidge had mixed for him to his exact and precise wishes, and felt a bit less worried.

Lance was sure he'd never had this many butterflies in his life before a date, in fact he was pretty sure he'd never been nervous before a date in his life. Then of course they didn't mean as much to him as this did. Allura was everything to him, everything, she was what he thought of before he fell asleep and the first thought when he woke up. Of course he was dreaming about her, always dreaming about her. He'd even found himself daydreaming about her during his classes and had to really focus on compartmentalizing while teaching so he didn't screw up and miss anything important.

Standing up, he made sure all the flowers that were on the tables around the edges of the room, where at the right angles, nothing was too askew or not in line. He checked the champagne was cold enough and buried in enough ice. Then he doubled checked that all the candles around the room where lit, and weren't in danger of burning out anytime soon. He then grabbed the black dress jacket from the floor where he'd left, flung it over his shoulder and went to check on room number two.

Room number two was smaller, it held a small round table, two chairs and espresso machine, and the doorway to a small balcony was wide open, letting in the cooler autumn breeze, he walked outside and stood there holding his jacket, and holding the railing, cooling off. Being nervous sure made you hot, he thought, hand coming up to unbutton a button his throat of the light blue cotton shirt he was wearing. He told himself to buck up and walked back inside and through another door to check on room number three...his favorite part of the date and the hardest part to put together.

~~.~~

Allura groaned, tore another dress off of her body and threw it on her bed with a scream. "I have no clothes," she muttered, as she walked back into her closet starting to feel panicked. She had nothing, nothing to wear that was right for tonight. She pushed through her dresses, pulled a few strapless, short numbers he hadn't seen her in yet, another backless one that she thought she adored but staring at on the hangar she wasn't sure anymore at all. She groaned and let herself fall to the floor in just her bra and underwear.

"I'm a disaster," she thought, and not for the first time in her life she really wished she had a sister, or her mother was still alive, or that Romelle lived closer. She took a deep breath, stood up and went to the communication device in her room and called Farla's room.

"Allura? Hi? Oh!" Farla said, averting her eyes a bit when she saw the Princess of Arus in her bra.

Allura blushed and grabbed the closest discarded dress and covered herself. "Sorry, I need help. Can you come to my room?"

"Of course." Farla said, "Give me a moment."

Allura breathe out slightly relieved. She hit a view more buttons and waited, still holding the dress up against herself for modesty. A woman come up on the screen. "This Planet Pollux."

"Princess Romelle, please, I know it's rather late, but tell her it's her cousin, Allura, please."

"Of course Princess Allura," the woman said. Allura could see her pressing buttons and even heard her tell Romelle who was calling her. Then Romelle's face, so close to her own face was before her.

"Allura?"

"I have nothing to wear! Nothing is right? He's going to think I'm a troll who can't dress herself!" Allura cried out.

Behind Romelle Allura heard Sven yell. "Just go naked, trust me Lance won't mind."

"Get out of the room," Romelle yelled, turning to her husband. "Shoo, out."

"Okay, okay," Allura heard, but she couldn't help but smile. He had a point and she knew it.

"I am being silly aren't I?" she asked Romelle.

"Yes. But it's perfectly normal. Though, you and Lance do seem to be doing things in a weird order, Allura. I'm still amazed you're doing this with Lance at all."

"Is it really so surprising to believe I could love him?"

"No. I could believe any woman would love Lance. I just always pictured you with Keith from all our talks about him."

Allura shrugged. "Things changed."

"I understand, I never expected Sven either."

"He said to dress sexy, that's all he told me. I don't know how to dress sexy?" Allura lamented.

"He probably thinks your sexy in a burlap sack," Romelle pointed out.

"Maybe I should just wear my lingerie."

"It's a route to go."

Allura blushed.

"What exactly did he say? Just sexy?"

"No. Backless number, short skirt, heels I can't kickass in cause they make a klutz, which is more an inside joke than the truth."

"And you have nothing that fits this criteria?" Romelle asked in a tone that said she didn't believe it.

"Fine, I have plenty, and plenty he hasn't seen yet. But..."

"What?"

"None of it feels right," Allura pouted.

"Oh, Allura, you're just nervous. You and he have been together for over two months now."

"Romelle, this our first date!" Allura shouted as her door chimed. "Hold on I have to let Farla in," Allura stood up letting the dress she was holding fall. Romelle gasped and then laughed.

Farla rolled her eyes when Allura answered. "Okay, Princess of Arus in her underwear, check."

"I have nothing to wear."

Farla eyed the dresses all over the room, and the large walk-in closet that she saw open. "Uh huh. I don't think we have dress shops on Lyra with this many clothes, Allura."

Allura sighed and sat down in front of Romelle's face again. "I need to calm down don't I?"

"Yes," Romelle said, trying not to laugh.

"How?"

"We could do some Lyra meditations?" Farla suggested behind her.

Romelle nodded. "Try that, it's a good suggestion."

Allura looked between her cousin and Farla. "Okay, okay. Okay. Thank you Romelle. I love you."

"Always, cousin, love you too."

Allura turned off the communication device and looked at Farla. "We have less than an hour."

Farla eyes widened but then she got a determined look on her face. "We can pull it off, first let's calm down your nerves." She took Allura's hand and led her to the bed where she instructed her to sit down with her legs crossed under her. "We'll hold hands and just try to slow your breathing to match mine, nice and easy. Think about how easy it is be around Lance and why you shouldn't be nervous."

Allura nodded a smile brightening her face. "That is true, even if I am a little nervous, he'll always make me laugh and take the edge off. Or, he'll look at me that way he has that makes me feel like I'm a woman and not a Princess. I really like that look."

Farla nodded. "Good, think about things and breathe in and out more slowly, with me."

Allura closed her eyes, to focus, to listen to Farla's more controlled breath and to try calm her own, to slow the rushing of her heart. After a few minutes she felt a lot calmer, more centered and more like herself. "Oh, wow," she breathed out. "I was hysterical."

"Nearly, I don't think you got that bad," Farla laughed.

"I'm still a bit afraid to start picking out a dress."

"Okay what is the criteria."

"Short, and show off my back, sexy," Allura said.

Farla nodded. "Okay, I'm going to make three choices, out of what is out here and in there. Give me a few minutes. Then you'll try something on and we'll go from there. One step at a time and if your late, Lance will just have to wait."

"Okay, I can go with that plan."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Lance checked that the black suit jacket he had on over his shirt was hanging off of him all right, took a deep breath and reminded himself that he knew and loved Allura and talked with her all time and had been sleeping with her already for weeks now. It didn't calm a single one of the nerves in his body that were high alert and making him positive that he was going to either hurl or sweat so much Allura would shove him into a shower.

He hit the button on Allura's door that announced visitors and waited. The door slid open, he smiled and looked down into big brown eyes - brown eyes? "Farla?" he said rather confused.

Farla smiled at him amused, pushed on his chest and they both went out into the hall. "She'll be out in a minute or two, just a few finishing touches."

"Oh," Lance said, trying to peer inside Allura's room before Farla hit the button that sent the door sliding closed again.

"You look very handsome, and no where near as a dressed up as you told her to be," Farla noted.

Lance shrugged. "She likes dressing up, and I have my reasons."

Farla shrugged right back at him. "Give me a clue, come on, it's happening in a minute or two. Let me in on the secrets."

Lance laughed. "What deprive Allura of telling you everything to tomorrow. No way."

Farla sighed. "At least tell me what was in the box."

"A stereo."

"A stereo?"

"Special one tinkered with by Pidge, I'm borrowing, and that's all you need to know."

"Hmm. Karoke?"

"Yeah, Farla, I'm going to sing to her," Lance laughed. "Guaranteed to make her run for the hills."

The door made the whoosh noise that singled it opening, Lance straightened his spine again, eyes off of Farla and onto Allura, his face splitting into a large goofy smile. "Hey," he said, stepping forward looking down into the big blue eyes he'd been expecting before.

"Hey," Allura said stepping forward, reaching up and touching the lapels on his suit jacket collar. "Jeans?" she noted with an amused smile.

"You'll see," he smirked.

Allura laughed, then looked past him at Farla. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, have fun you two," Farla said, then she took off down the hallway toward her guest room.

Lance had his hands on Allura's jaw, studying her hairstyle, she'd piled up on the top of her head in some intricate classy hairstyle. "You concocted that hairdo to drive me crazy didn't you?"

Allura grinned. "Farla said she could pin it up, I figured I'd let her, knowing it drive you crazy. Also I thought it be fun to see how long it took you to ruin it."

"I could do it now?"

"Oh, not even going to rise to challenge?" Allura said rising an eyebrow at him.

"Damn it, fine, I can last two hours, no ruining of the hair..." he said not looking convinced at all, they both knew he had some sort of addiction to tangling her hair around his fingers. He bent down and kissed her almost chastely. It was a chastely as they managed to get, breaking apart only for Allura to pull on his jacket collar and pull him for one more.

"Let's hurry, I want my surprises."

Lance laughed. "Then why weren't you ready on time, then, huh?"

Allura glared at him. "Do you want this high heel in a very uncomfortable place?"

He grinned and winked.

She blushed and shook her head. Lance wrapped his arm around her waist and started to guide her down the hall toward the first stage of their date.

~~.~~

_On the Planet Qi_

Keith wore black, always these days, it was easier to blend in that way. Stay to the shadows, become another face in the crowd. He pushed through the crowd of an overcrowded bar of various sizes of humanoids, non-humanoids and robotic waitstaff - which apparently was this place draw. Just go up to a robot and order anything you wanted. Keith rolled his eyes, he was making his way to the back room, where their wasn't odd techno music being pushed at him by an anonymous D.J. on a digital screen that hurt his ears. Where there would be a game of skill, or a game of cards, something he could use to his advantage to gain some extra cash in his pockets.

And later if he was lucky maybe he could start a fight. Crush a few noses against his knuckles and feel... Not better, Keith thought, hunching his shoulders, trying to appear smaller than he was as he kept making his way towards the darker corner of the club. He didn't think he'd feel better, not about Allura. Not ever.

He found the door to the back room. There was a large bear-like alien at the door, he didn't know the name of the creature's race, Keith was learning a lot more about the Galaxy he'd sworn to protect by being on its outskirts than he'd ever known being safely in the middle fighting in Black. In some ways he's felt grateful for the harsh education, until Keith remembered everything it'd cost him, was continuing to cost him and how'd it been taking away. How an immoral man stood in charge of what was mean to be system a system of equality and justice? They had to stop Wade, he had to stop Wade.

Keith walked up and tried just walking in. The bearman's paw came up and shoved him back. Keith met the bear's eyes, they were a startling light blue. He held the gaze. "Password," the bear growled.

"Obsidian," Keith growled back.

The bear lowered his paw, but he was eyeing Keith with suspicion but he let Keith pass and walked into the room. Keith silently thanked Manset for the password and looked around the smoky back room. There was a real bar, real bartender, real waiters and waitresses walking around. But not too many of them. There were only a few men and women inside and there was some old country song playing in the background. Keith made his way to the darkest corner in the room, and sat down on a chair.

A waitress come up almost immediately, brunette, tall, hazel eyes, she smiled at him in that way said she was open to anything he did want or didn't want. All Keith could think was she was the absolute antithesis of Allura. He ordered beer, preferably from Earth, no one ever questioned an earth male ordering earth beer.

"Sure thing," she said and turned away.

~~.~~

Farla picked her sketch book back up and her pencil, she stared at the random sketch of the tree she'd been staring at earlier at the party she'd been trying to draw from memory. The doctors had been telling her to keep testing her memory, so she thought that it be a good test. She frowned at it though, not because it was bad but because it looked good, it was the tree and the flowers, it just needed the color added.

She flipped to a blank page, closed her eyes and tried to picture Early and his laboratory. The man and the room flashed into her mind, perfectly clear. She'd seen it a million times, she'd been inside it daily for over three years, ever since Early showed up on Lyra and started his studies. She and her men, brought him his flowers, his seeds, she'd shown him herself how to tend the flowers his first weeks, answered some of his questions. Found him books he requested...

She sat up. She rushed to her computer and connected to her home planet, Trias her First Lieutenant came up on the screen. "Lady Farla," he said, slightly smiling but trying not to out of respect for her title. She smiled at him however. "Trias, I want you to access my computer files, I kept records of everything I took out of Lyran Archives for David Early, I would like that list and the books themselves if Early left them behind sent to Arus please."

"Of course. How is your memory?"

"Still spotty. Any other mentions of Early in my files, please send to me as well."

"Of course, Lady Farla."

Farla nodded. "Are you keeping up with training both in combat and flower tending?"

"Yes ma'am. I can send you reports on how everyone is doing?"

"No. I trust you to keep everyone up to standard. Continue on," Farla said, closing the screen and rubbing her temples.

Myths, folk tales, he'd requested as many of those on the flowers as he had other scientific research on the flowers from the past, both distant and recent. He'd even asked her question specifically about life on Lyra during the horrible brief time they had no flowers blooming. When there had been fear they would have to find another way to live, to learn a new way of life, until Lance had kept his promise to her and returned the flowers home.

She'd never liked him. He was arrogant, he seemed to think she had time to give him answers, to find him books, to explain the careful and gentle ways to tend the flowers to bring about the best results after planting a seed and getting a seedling to grow out of the soil. She'd always been amazed he'd been able to grow the flowers, with his arrogance and his grating voice.

Yet he had managed to find a way to do so, and he kept doing his tests, his odd tests with wires, and mechanics and none of it had ever seemed very organic to her. How could flowers work with machines? It went against everything she was, what Lyra stood for, they only had computers to survive in the Galaxy, to be a part of the Alliance. Not be a little planet that was forgotten, because they sometimes needed outside help for medicine, and to rebuild after their strong tropical storms would knock down a jungle village or a river village to pieces.

Farla shook her head, what had she seen, what had scared her so much she'd jumped into a ship she barely knew how to fly to get to Arus? It'd been foolhardy yet she must've seen it as her only choice when Early had seen her. What happened?

~~.~~

Allura was amazed, not that Lance had come with dancing, they always were dancing. They were always dancing, with or without music, he'd grab her or she'd grab him and they'd just dance, twirl, dip and laugh. For Allura and she believed for Lance as well it was about those first days when they both dealing with the new found buzzing physical attraction for each other. Him taking her dances, her telling him how much she looked forward to dancing and then never getting to dance at the dance. Only alone in her room to a radio.

So here they were, wrapped up together, dancing to her favorite kind of music. Soft, lilting Celtic instrumentals from Earth; she'd heard them once and falling in love with them and she had no idea how he'd gotten the mix they were dancing too but was one of her favorites after an other. That was pretty amazing, but not the real amazing thing.

What amazed her was how beautiful the room was, she didn't know where he'd hidden the sound system, it sounded like a stereo but she couldn't see it. There were candles lighting the room, soft golden candle light with a clean clear Arusian vanilla scent. It felt all heavenly and out of some romantic book she'd read when she was younger but never thought could come true. She knew underneath his leather coat and his sarcastic quips that Lance was a mushball but a one capable of a romantic setting, not so much.

He dipped her, making her giggle, she always giggled, she didn't know why but she knew she loved it. He held didn't pull her back up right away, looming over her, looking at her, grinning his own eyes sparkling with mirth.

"You like it, right?" he asked.

"Love it," she said.

He slowly lifted her back up and spun them around, she laughed again and wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck, moved up onto her toes, her heels had her much taller than normal so she was closer to his mouth than usual. She pressed her lips to his jaw, then his mouth. "This is amazing."

"It's just stage one."

"Just stage one?"

"We have a coffee break, than stage three."

Allura laughed. "A coffee break?"

"It's a romantic coffee break," he said, kissing her nose.

"Hmmhmm," she whispered as another one of her favorite songs started to play. "Where did you get all these songs onto one disk?"

"Pidge is my secret weapon there," Lance admitted. "No way I could have pulled this all off without him and Hunk."

"Yeah, but you knew just what to do," she whispered shaking her head. "Not that we need candle light or music to do this."

"True, why it was such a no brainer," he said spinning her out in front of him. "And you look fantastic in that dress, I like this one a lot, Arusian silk again?"

"Of course, it's my favorite fabric for tiny cocktail dresses that threaten Nanny's life," Allura grinned.

"Should we take a picture then, send it to her?"

Allura laughed as he spun her back into his arms and she leaned up to kiss his cheek.

~~.~~

A figure with a hood over their head, covering their face walked up to Keith's table, as Keith finished his third beer, grabbed a chair, turned it around and straddled it. Keith could just about make out a pair of eyes in the shadows cast by the hood, and the darkness of the corner of the bar he'd sat himself in.

The figure held up both their hands, then slowly took one and went down to a pocket, Keith followed the hand, with his eyes, the whole time his right wrist waiting to just flex the right way to trigger his voltcom into action. The figure pulled out a file and put on the table. Then they simpll said, "Manset." Then they left as quickly as they arrived.

Keith picked up his beer and drained the last of it, then he touched with a finger and drew it closer, flipped it open. Photographs of David Early were in it, Keith looked more closer in the background. They showed the scientist in what looked to Keith to be Bourbon Street in New Orleans, he frowned. Early had left Lyra to go to Earth? He was on Earth, he was that much closer to Wade? Was Wade working with him? What were they working on? Keith flipped through the pictures, they all seemed to be around the same place, on the street, in the open. No Wade in sight, from the pictures you couldn't even tell Early was scientist.

Going to Earth was a risk, he'd be the most recognizable there. It'd be dangerous as hell, but if it was the lead he had. He sighed. He saw that a poker game was starting on the other side of the room - first things first. He stood up, slid the folder into his own coat pocket, and crossed the room.

"How much to buy in?"

He was looked over, they all shrugged told him the amount and with that he was in the poker game. He'd always had a good face for bluffing, it'd be a piece of cake.

~~.~~

Lance helped Allura slip his suit jack on over her short little silk dress, it'd been a dark green but it'd brought out the blue of her eyes. She'd looked radiant, but Lance always thought she looked radiant. He leaned down and kissed the skin under her right ear, she shivered against him and he loved knowing that it wasn't because of the chilly air out on the balcony they were standing on. "I'm going to go make our coffee, and put together our chocolate treat."

Allura leaned back into him, her hands reaching back and grabbing onto him, one grabbing his left wrist, the other his right hip. "Stay a bit longer first," she said. "The sky is gorgeous."

He agreed the sky was gorgeous, it was a perfect clear post autumn, unseasonably warm night before winter came to Arus. "You just want me to keep you warm," he said, kissing her neck again.

She shook her head, moving her neck in the way that said, she wanted more. "No, that's not it, I'm really not all that cold, all warm from dancing, and the champagne we were drinking, the air feels wonderful."

He kept kissing her neck, his hands going to waist then gripping her hips and pulling her flush back against him, she moaned arching her back and tilting her head back. Lance met her mouth and they kissed, Lance losing himself into the kiss, his fingers pushing into her hair as she turned around in his arms. As they broke apart, both of them breathing heavily, Allura's hair fell down in waves, pins going everywhere and Lance shrugged. "I think I did last two hours," he whispered, pushing some of it off her face, picking out a few of the hairpins.

Allura licked her lips and nodded. "I think so, you had to focus on the dancing," she whispered. She ran her hands through her hair, gathering hairpins. "Go make coffee, I want to get to get stage three," she demanded.

Lance looked into her eyes, he knew the look there, he felt it too, if stage three wasn't the part of the date that he feared the most and was looking forward to the most himself, he'd just take her back to her room now, right now. "Coffee and chocolate coming up."

Allura nodded, then she turned around and looked back out at the sky.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author notes: Hi everyone! End of the date is finally here. Hope you like it. Also I hope everyone is enjoying reading this, let me know will ya? Also, concrit is very welcome too. _

Chapter Five

Allura hoped it never stopped stunning her. How quickly and fully her sexual arousal and need for Lance would whip through her. How much she wanted to just rip off his clothes and touch every single inch of his skin, touch him with her hands, her lips, press herself against his hard angles, curve herself against him, let him push himself inside of her - sometimes she felt like she never get him inside enough like there had to be more. Then she'd blow apart and he'd somehow keep her together all at the same time.

She'd been ready to let him just bend her over there and then, at the balcony railing, blushing red of course, she'd never not blush, but she'd want it, she'd love it. She still wanted him, he'd wanted her too. But he had plans, Lance had pushed her away, pulled away, he'd looked inches away from scooping her up and taking her back to her room - their room? She wanted to to start saying that but a part of her felt it was too soon.

Too soon and yet it was definitely forever. Her and Lance. So new and for all time. Allura sometimes loved to embrace the contradiction of it all. The giddiness of how new it really all still was and the knowledge that she knew deep down in her heart and soul. Lance was it, the one, the end. He was going to be her husband.

"Ready," he said, his voice still lower than normal, that octave it got when he was over her in bed, or under her as it was at times. His hand tangled in her hair, her own would grab onto his, her legs wrapped around his waist.

She turned, smiled and walked over to the small table, more candlelight, she slipped into her seat, stared into his eyes, wrapped her hands around the warm small mug of mocha latte he'd made for her. He grinned at her and pushed a plate over, her eyes dropped to look at the piece of chocolate pastry puff, it looked delicious. "Hmm, you'd think I wouldn't want to devour that after having so much cake already today," she said, picking up the fork he'd laid out on the plate as well for her.

And that was it too, she wanted to rip off his clothes but she could just sit, sip warm liquid and eat with him too, enjoy the wait, the anticipation. Wonder and be curious and want him to let slip what was going to happen to next on their date. She really, really want to know what was next, everything so far had been so simple. So them. Dancing, it was who they were, they'd even done it before everything changed - evolved to what it was meant to be - between them.

Dancing and laughing, eating and enjoying the other's company, with the addition of wanting and knowing at some point there would be the slip and slide of naked body against body. What was going to be next? More dancing? Talking? Laughter? A movie for them to make fun of? Or for him to try to teach her the important of an American Iconic pop culture movie or television show of his youth or one that was even before his youth that he'd seen himself only on disk. He'd be telling her he was going to her take her drag racing, just so she knew what an idiot he'd been as a kid, she wouldn't past him to make that part of their date. She smiled thinking of that she took a big bite out of her pastry.

"What's that smile about?"

"Just trying to guess what's next," Allura said after smiling.

"You won't," he said, sounding rather nervous.

She looked back at him and reached over to him with a hand, touching his hands that were swallowing up his small coffee cup. "You sound nervous," she said. "That isn't like you."

Lance nodded, and took her hand in his, playing with her fingers a little bit. "Yeah, well... You aren't just any date, now are you?"

"Best part of being with you is I do feel like I am a woman, just a woman, not pretentious title, no hovering destiny waiting to slam on my shoulders."

"Even if you weren't a Princess Allura you'd never be just a woman."

"We'll never know."

"I guess," Lance said. "I uh, when you're ready I brought a change of a clothes for you. You're going want to be warmer, more comfortable. Hope you don't mind I raided your closet."

"You raided my closet?"

"Just for jeans, and a sweater, oh and your hiking boots."

"Oh, this is going to explain why you are in your jeans and hiking boots, isn't it."

"Partly, yeah," he said.

Allura sipped more of her coffee. "Hmm."

Lance grinned.

"Are we drag racing?"

He burst laughing, shook his head but then leaned forward on the table, on his elbows and winked at her. "That, that will happen on Earth. We'll beat some stupid teenaged kid, and you will think I was one of the dumbest kids in the history of earth, but yeah that will happen. But not tonight."

Allura grinned. "I still think it sounds fun."

"Well, yeah, but then growing up alone in this castle with only Coran, Nanny and the mice, was just as bad as a hick town in Nebraska. You would have dragged raced too if you had the chance, I bet."

Allura nodded, her eyes sparkling. "If I had any ability to do anything I'd probably been more of a handful than Larmina's been thus far if the planet hadn't been so destroyed at the time. If I'd known where the lion keys had been, I'd have been joy riding them."

Lance laughed. "I see it. You taking out Black for midnight spins."

Allura grinned. "Keith would've had to command from Blue, then."

Lance entire face let up. "Oh, that's that is priceless. I like the visual."

Allura shook her head and took the final bite of her pastry. "Oh, look I finished. Can get my last surprise please?"

Lance grinned but it was definitely nervous, he stood up and took her hand, walked her to a door. "I left the change of the clothes in there, just let me know when you're ready."

Allura turned toward him, touched his face and looked up at him. "You aren't going to help me change?" she asked in her coyest voice.

"Baby, you want to see what I have planned or not?" he asked, his voice low, hands on her hips, fingers moving threatening to cinch up her already short skirt.

She shivered and she grinned. "Both, I want both."

"Then in the room to change alone you go," Lance said into her ear, opening the door, and pushing her inside alone.

She laughed as he closed the door in her face.

~~.~~

Lance leaned his forehead against the door, damn that woman and her sexiness. Keith had to have the stupidest person in the universe or Allura never gave him that look. That damn take me now and forget everything else planned in the world look - who cares if we are in a meeting with Coran and other Alliance V.I.P.'s. Literally she'd done it to him, her foot out of her shoe, pushing up his uniform's looking to get past his combat boot to his skin. It had been a boring meeting.

Tonight it'd been harder to ignore her, he had less sensible reasons to prove he could be well-behaved, which is what that had been all about. She'd been teasing, testing him and proving she wasn't all that well-behaved herself - all the time. He had to be the responsible one that day, in a weird way it'd been kind of fun. Tonight was fun too, in a much more frustrating way but he wasn't giving in and taking her on the floor of the room she was in right now, or on the balcony like she'd practically begged him with her bedroom eyes. He needed to finish this day how he planned.

The door started to open, his forehead still against it, so he moved back and Allura started a little bit to see him so nearby but then she smiled. She still looked radiant, even with her hair a mess of strange waves from the way Farla had wrapped and pinned it. She been foresightful enough to put back on his suit jacket over her simple blue sweater, her favorite pair of jeans, and her hiking boots.

He bent down and kissed her, longer than planned, what else was new, really, he thought as they broke apart. "Ready?" he asked mostly to get the exasperated look she gave him back.

"Ready!" she repeated at him. "Yes, yes, I've been ready for over a week!"

He grabbed her hand, opened the door that led out into the hall. Then he led her down to the where all Castle's fleet of Infernos were kept. There was only a skeleton crew on this late at night, one of them saw them and jumped up from the game he and the others seemed to be playing on their hand held computers. Lance shook his head, but he wasn't going to rebuff them, he'd be doing the same thing most likely.

"Commander McClain, Princess Allura, I have Inferno 12 ready for you as requested."

Lance nodded, he felt Allura make a noise of non-surprise but happiness behind him, he smiled. It wasn't odd for him to take her up in a ship, just fly around space as fast as they could go, on Arus or on Earth. Tonight would be different though, a lot different, he swallowed over the lump in his throat.

"Thank you Lieutenant."

Lance opened the hatch for Allura to climb up and into the back of the fighter in the R.E.O position. Then he started walking around the fighter doing a check, joyride or not, he did the check. Allura laughed, but he heard her starting her own system check anyway, mostly so she could whine she'd done it already when he hopped into the cockpit and started it himself. Which he did as soon as he was satisfied with his check of the outside of fighter, then he started his system check.

"It's fine," Allura pointed out.

"I'm sure it is," Lance said, smiling.

"Yep. Just finished my very thorough check, Commander."

"I know, I saw, and you were taught by the very best."

"Sure was... Keith's awesome."

"Hey!" Lance said, turned to look back at her and glare, though his smile kind of ruined the fake anger.

She gave him her most dazzling and teasing smile.

"Get yourself strapped in," he ordered seeing she hadn't yet.

"Yes, sir," she said in mock seriousness, as she grabbed the straps.

He shook his head, grabbed his own straps as he watched the computer roll through the check and made sure it was all checking out correctly. Which of course it was. He nodded to himself and initiated take off and taxied the Inferno out of the Castle and out into Arus' atmosphere. Then shot up into space at a speed he'd never recommend for anyone who wasn't at the level of piloting of say him or Keith.

Allura made that sound she made when he kissed the back of her neck, after lifting her hair out of the way, speed and his lips evoked the same sound, that really fascinated him. Once they were in space, he took a deep breath, pointed the Inferno into the normal pattern he always took when they just took a spin when they were here. First an infinity loop around the two moons, then a speedy spin around Arus, trying to break his record. Then they'd hover for a bit, maneuver the seats and make out - this time there would be no making out. At least not in space.

When he started back down towards Arus instead of settling in for the hovering, Allura leaned forward, hand on his shoulder. "Okay, what's up now?"

"You'll see," he said and he landed the fighter on top of the volcano his Red Lion was stuck under for the forseeable future. His fingers itched on the controls of the Inferno, wishing he was in the Lion, flying Allura around in her, pushing her speeds to see what sounds it would evoke from Allura's mouth. He closed his eyes and counted to three.

He opened the hatch, climbed out and held out a hand to help Allura down, she was giving an odd look, he'd expected it. This is where he had to explain something, explain a lot actually. Her feet landed on the volcanic soil and she looked up at him.

"This is where you used to use all I taught you about our constellations on your dates."

"I know, I was there," Lance said. "I'll explain, just wait a second." He let go of her hand and reached into the storage compartment of the fighter and pulled out the blanket and pillows he'd had the Lieutenant pack in there for him earlier. "Follow me," he said and he hiked them up a little higher up, where it was too rocky and hilly for a fighter, and definitely a lion ever to park. Then he find the spot, and he spread out the blanket and the pillows.

"Star at the stars now I take it?" Allura said more than asked.

He nodded, she looked more curious than mad but she was definitely wondering what hell was going on. He hoped he could explain it all over the lump in his throat, he helped her down as he got down, hoping she didn't notice how sweaty his palms were. Or maybe he did.

They both laid on their backs, looked up at the stars, so much brighter, such a thicker blanket of pinpoint light across the sky than on Earth. Lance had been instantly enthralled by them, just like as a boy he'd always been enthralled by the stars he saw from his grandparents backyard in Nebraska.

"Here is the thing, the first girl I ever took to see the stars, was my first girlfriend. I was thirteen, she was twelve. I was, uh, I don't she was my first crush and she was the prettiest girl in my entire town. I figured we'd be together until the world ended or something," Lance laughed and shook his head. "Her name was Kayla Woods but she'd been adopted from Japan, so she was really exotic to everyone in town. I took her to my grandparents, they had this great big backyard, used to be farmland. I used to go way out in what used to be their wheat field and stare at the stars and daydream about how I was going to fly among them. I told Kayla that, that first time out there... She thought I was crazy, no one got out Wheatville, Nebraska."

Allura snuggled closer. "Well, you proved that wrong."

"Yeah, she usually got bored when we went out there, so I stopped bringing her. Later when I went to the Garrison Academy, at sixteen, she and I always had this on again off again thing. We fought a lot, but she was still really the only girl worth anything in town, to me anyway. Anyway she said we should clean break since I was going somewhere and she wasn't... I was okay with it being sixteen and going to California, going to Academy. I felt like my real life was starting. I took a few days stargazing, tried to explain how I knew someday I be among them but the girls got bored, and just wanted to make out. Which you know...teenager, fine by me. Then I decided on the constellation impression line to go into the make out and if I don't know anything more happened then they could know."

"How you would stare at the stars for hours and know you would fly among them?"

"Yeah?" Lance said. "Never did find that girl though. Not until now."

Allura kissed his cheek. "Well then you better tell me," she whispered.

Lance moved so he was facing her. "Yeah?"

"Why do you sound so unsure?"

"'Cause, I just don't share the things that matter much and you, you matter the most."

Allura grabbed his jaw and kissed him, like it was a command and then pulled back. "Tell me about the stars and the flying dreams, Lance."

One more deep breathe, Lance focused his attention on Allura's kind eyes, started to twist some of her hair around his hands, it was comforting somehow and he opened his mouth. "I don't really remember the first time I looked at the stars, but my grandfather and I would always go out back in his yard when I was over there for the night and look up. He would tell me stories about spaceflight, he'd wanted to fly himself but couldn't for some health reason. Never did find out what it was. He told me about what was going on out there, the other planets with life on them, how once Earth had thought it was all alone in space. How some people had had to eat their words when we realized we weren't. I wanted to go out there, I started dreaming about being out in that big vast place where all the beautiful stars and planets were. Where the moon was. I started to beg my parents for flying lessons. I was like six or seven I think. Mom was pissed. By ten they gave in on the flying lessons. Then I started picturing myself up there, even though I'd yet to get in a space fighter. My instructor hadn't told me but I knew I was his best student, the best he'd seen. I heard snippets of what he said to other people, what he was telling my parents. He was a first grade ass to me though, guess that's where I got my teaching technique. Though I had a few teaches like that, all five of us did. The Academy was in much better hands when we were there."

Allura smiled. "I know it had to have been it sent you five here and you changed everything for the better."

"Then we defeated Doom and it somehow got worse... Anyway. I kept up the stargazing on my own all my life. When we got here, man the stars here Allura. They are amazing, gorgeous, so many of them, so bright, the moons, and the planets you can make out. The real reason I listened so closely to what you were tellings us about the constellations was I just wanted to know. It didn't hurt with one of my main ways of getting lucky, but it wasn't the main reason. I came up here alone more than with a girl anyway. It's the best place to stargaze. I tried a few other places, but this is the place. My volcano. Well, I think of it as mine since Red's underneath us."

"We could rename it Lance," Allura whispered with a giggle in her voice.

He rolled his eyes at her.

She smiled and kissed his jaw. "Thank you," she whispered. "For sharing something so special with me."

"Anything for you."

"Someday, you'll have to show me the stars from that wheat field."

"Really?"

Allura nodded. "Definitely."

"Yeah, okay," he said smiling and then moving over her, holding his weight off of her with his hands. "I love you."

Allura nodded, licked her lips. "I love you, too."


	6. Chapter 6

_Author Notes: This Chapter is rated at a Hard R. Also the Keith Angst is off the meter, so those wanted to snuggle him get ready to snuggle. Also Lance4Ever, something we discussed and I said no comment on, you get some answers here :-)_

Chapter Six

He woke up, blonde hair fanned out over his chest, warm breasts pressed against his stomach, groaning he pressed the heel of his hands against his eyes, he moved quickly displacing her and waking her. A sweet voice said, "Good morning."

Keith grabbed her dress from the floor, the nothing piece of silk she'd been wearing the night before, and threw it at her. "Get out."

Instantly the sweetness was gone. "What no more sweet princess act wanted? I could play another game?"

Keith shuddered, wondering what the hell he'd been thinking the night before. He'd gotten the money he came to get - and then some. Women had been propositioning him all night, some for free, some not. She'd been the last to come up to him, she'd looked just enough like Allura to his foggy beer and whiskey addled brain that he'd offered her the extra money he'd made instead of doing the smart thing and saving it.

He couldn't back track his thinking, it hadn't been rationale, all he remembered was asking her to play sweet, naive and virginal. He sounded like some sick pervert in his head when he thought about it. "No, that's fine. Just go, you got your payment, already." He walked into the cheap motel he'd rented for the night's bathroom, fairly sure the woman would gone when he walked out.

He ignored the mirror as much as possible, he couldn't look at himself right now, he didn't want to be himself right now. Sleeping with lookalikes was not the way to get over Allura, he knew that. Getting drunk and getting laid was not his style, it'd never been his style, he did not do one night stands. That was Lance, not him, a flash from the night before came to him. He'd downed his fourth whiskey shot, one shot too many, it was always the fourth that did him in, the blonde had already been eyeing him and he hadn't shooed her away like others. Because she looked just enough like Allura and he was being a masochist.

When she walked up and it made it clear she was free and affordable for the night, he'd actually thought, she likes what works for Lance, why not be more like Lance?

This whole thing was fucking him up, Keith thought as he turned on the shower as hot it could go, which turned out to be really tepid. Great, he thought sarcastically, great start to the day, wake up with a hooker and take a crappy non-hot shower.

~~.~~

Lance played with Allura's hair, he twisted a lock around his index finger, then unrolled it, then repeated the action. All the while, laying on his side, staring at her sleeping face, waiting for her to wake up. It was early, too early Arus time to be awake, but he couldn't sleep. He'd been so nervous the day before, about telling Allura his real reasons for taking girls to see the stars and how he could never really share with any of them why it mattered. She was the only one, she understood, she got it. He loved her too much he thought, his heart kept threatening to leap out of his throat, if it could out at the size it was for her.

He sounded like a bad romance novel in his head, he thought, and he tried closing his eyes, letting go of her hair, putting his arm under the blankets, around her naked body, pulling her closer. She sighed in her sleep, snuggled into his chest, he felt aroused and awake. But he counted students in his head who needed extra help, the ones who didn't, what he should pop quiz them all on when he got back from Arus; usually it was all boring enough to put him to sleep but he just couldn't fall asleep.

He'd been to wound up, then everything had gone so damn well, then they'd had amazing, amazing sex. Allura amazed him with her adventure, her passion and he knew he'd never get enough of her every inch of her. He loved her little toe up to her hair, for crying out loud. Just as he thought he felt a tongue roll around his nipple, then kiss it, then Allura was looking up at him with sleepy, amused, sexy eyes.

"Why are you awake?" she asked moving closer to him, pressing them together, wrapping her legs around him, grinning when she felt how turned on he was. "I think I'm glad your awake, but why are you awake?" she repeated.

"Can't sleep," Lance adjusting positions, and simply sliding into her, watching her eyelids flutter as he does, and he kissed her.

"Why?" she whispered. "You had a long day and a long and awesome date, that ended with really bouncy sex; I made sure of that."

Lance grinned, remembering her straddled over him, but he kissed her again, making it last long, and sweet, as they build up a slow undulating rhythm because there was no need to hurry, not ever.

"I was obsessing," he admitted when their mouth broke apart for breath.

"About."

"How much I love you," he laughed.

Allura laughed. "Hmm," she said her eyes rolling back a little because he'd used the moment she laughed to change the angle of their thrusting to just the right one, but kept up their slow rhythm. "You do worry too much about that," she chastised, burying her face into his neck and kissing the skin where shoulder and neck meet, licking, then nibbling.

"Hmm, I know, I keep expecting it to vanish," he said, sucking in her earlobe.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I know, Allura, I do, just hard for me to believe sometimes. Still in this state of shock about us, it's all so new, but..."

"You know it will be forever," she said pulled back to look in his eyes.

"Yeah," he whispered.

She bit her lower lip and nodded. "I feel like that too."

Lance felt a rush of lust and comfort, and he never knew they could coincide, it felt amazing and he moved them so she was underneath him, and he started to really move inside of her. Allura tightened her grip around his waist and threw her arms around his neck and moved with him making him feel like they were flying.

~~.~~

"Princess Allura, Commander Larkin," Xara yelled from the foot of the bed.

Lance groaned opened one eye and looked at the head maid, sometimes he wondered if she was related to Nanny, or if the occupation just bred a certain type of shrillness in the voice. "What?"

"You should leave the room now, before it gets later and more people will see you leaving."

Allura sat up, pulling a sheet up to cover herself. "Xara, there is no reason to hide anything."

Xara's hands went onto her hips. "Princess, if I may speak freely."

Allura yawned but she nodded.

"I am aware that the entire Galaxy is quite aware of your relationship, there are pictures of you everywhere, the two of you touching, dancing, kissing - which really Princess! Plus your speech when you landed on Xios, dear Goddess of Arus' I wish people would forget that. My sister's oldest daughter told me she is writing fanfiction about you two now. She used to read the Keith/Allura but she's switched."

"What?" Lance muttered.

"I really don't know what she meant, but I didn't like the sound of it, and as soon as I can talk to my sister, I plan to find out more and put a stop to it."

"Xara, just get used to Lance sleeping here, because really, he's not going to be sleeping anywhere else when he's on Arus. In fact," she turned to Lance. "Shouldn't we just move all your stuff in here?"

Lance grinned. "Fine with me, Baby."

"Good. We'll do that. I want you to have all of Lance's stuff moved into here today, I'm sure we can clear out a section of one of my wardrobe's and the closet for him. Quite easily. Also, I understand you are worried about what people are thinking about me, but frankly Xara, if they think less of me because of who I love, and how I am choosing to love him, I don't really give a fu..."

"Oh my!" Xara ran out of the room.

Lance bent over and kissed Allura. "Really, Allura, you were about to say that word just get her feathers all unruffled."

"Well, she makes it so easy, and she woke me up from a great dream about the team being back together."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah we were forming Voltron, we were about to kick a robeasts butt, it was beautiful."

"You're beautiful," Lance said.

Lance's voltcom beeped from the bedside table. He grabbed hold of it, and hit a button that brought up Pidge's face. "Hey, Keith's sent some intel, I think you better see this."

"Yeah, okay, on my way. Should I bring Allura?"

"I think you may want to see it first," Pidge said.

Allura wrinkled her nose, Lance gave her a look. "Up to you, Allura?" he asked.

"Go ahead, I need to check my schedule for the day anyway."

"Okay, I need to get my old room anyway, for clothes," Lance said grabbing his jeans from the floor.

Last night's jeans on, one last longer than they meant it to be kiss goodbye, Lance left their room and started toward his old room. He ran into Farla drinking a huge mug of coffee, holding a bunch of papers and reading them. "Hey, you look like you stayed up all night?" he said.

Farla looked up at him, grinned and said. "You have epic bedhead, but I bet you got very little sleep too. I had a few thoughts, on Early, so I had some things downloaded from my computer on Lyra to here. Some books are being sent over today, as well. Myths and folklore he asked for. I think, I am hoping they might help me remember what it was I saw, I'm sure it's related."

"Hmm," Lance said. "Pidge said, Keith sent some intel, I'm pretty sure he's going to be focusing on Early, want to come see. I just want to throw on some clean clothes first."

"Sure," she said, sipping her coffee.

The walked into his room, he looked around it and grinned. "This place was good while it lasted, but yeah I like my new digs better."

"Oh, really, making the move in with Allura official."

"Her maid made her realize it was rather dumb we hadn't yet," he said, opening the closet. "Plus not like my measly wardrobe and stuff is going to encroach on hers. Right?"

Farla nodded. "I'm considered royalty on Lyra, this place is amazing."

"I bet," Lance said, walking into his bathroom to change.

He walked out ten minutes later, with a wash faced, brushed teeth and his bedhead tamed to find Xara, Farla and another maid talking. "Hey Xara," he said with a wink.

Xara glared at him. "This isn't a good idea."

"Just be careful with the model planes, okay they are fragile," he said glancing over at the model plane collection he had on his bureau. "I'd appreciate it."

"Very well," she said.

"Come on, sweetheart," he said to Farla in his best flirt-voice just to watch Xara out of the corner of his eye bristle.

In the hallway, Farla punched him in the arm, hard. "I am not to be used to upset maids."

"What she drives Allura crazy about me."

Farla sipped her coffee. "Fine, okay, but still."

"Sorry," he said.

They walked into the control room. Pidge and Felix were playing some hologram game, Lance thought he saw his lion and Pidge's on their palm computer's. "Pidge?" he asked, his voice wary about what Pidge was up too. They both turned the game dark.

"Hey Boss," Pidge said, he started pressing buttons and brought up Keith's short and sweet communiqué.

Both Lance and Farla stepped behind Pidge's seat to read it on screen in front of Pidge, there was no reason to put it on the main control panel.

_Manset got me intel photos on Early. He's in New Orleans. Bourbon Street._

_Going to Earth._

"We should tell him not too, right?" Pidge said.

Lance started weighing his options, thinking it over, Early was on Earth, that couldn't be good. Wade had ultimate power on Earth. Earth was crazy dangerous for Keith, but they were on Earth most of the time. Keith was a ninja, he could blend, he could take care of himself, it was insane but it was a good insane, he'd do it... he had to qualify that meant it was an okay insane plan. Keith had to be willing to do crazy things out there to survive, he'd known that going in.

"No. He has too track Early, or we won't know what's going on," Lance said.

"But Earth, that's crazy. He can't be seen, he has no back up."

"I'll meet him there," Farla said.

Lance turned to Farla. "What?"

"I'm cleared health wise to go, I'm staying here to try whatever therapies and new treatments they can come up with. But, I rather be more proactive. I'll wait until the books I asked for get here, and then I'll go to Earth and meet him this New Orleans. You're leaving today aren't. You can take me to the Academy and I can my own way from there."

"Farla," Lance wasn't sure about this.

"Pidge, said he could use backup."

"Lance, I don't think it's wise for him to be on Earth without some back up. Farla is the leader of Guardians, we know she can take of herself, it will be good back up for Keith. Plus, that surprise you asked me to make for her, it is finished."

Lance grinned at that and thought it was good timing. He looked at Farla she looked determined. Maybe being more active, by helping Keith track Early, get into his newer laboratory she would get her memory back. He nodded. "Okay, I'm for it. Pidge tell Keith that Farla will meet him on Earth. New Orleans, Bourbon Street, the strip joint the Wildcat, tomorrow night. I'll fly there and drop her off, so she won't be seen at all at the Academy. I don't want to risk Wade knowing she was on Earth at all. And make it clear to Keith, Farla isn't optional."

Pidge nodded and started typing.

"Then after you finished typing and encrypting that, let's give her your surprise. I'll meet you guys in the gym, I'll get Allura."

"What is this surprise?" Farla asked.

"A surprise," Lance said. "I know you like those."

Farla stuck her tongue out at him.

~~.~~

Allura saw the email from Keith the second she turned on her laptop, it'd been sent sometime in the early morning hours Arus time. An intuition told her to be wary of opening it but she couldn't ignore it either. She couldn't ignore Keith, he was Keith and he would always matter to her. She checked her schedule, the whole time wondering what Keith had sent Pidge to set off an alarm in Pidge's voice, to want Lance to see it alone before letting her in on it, and here was her own email from him.

She got dressed, pulled her hair back into a pony tail just to keep it off her face for the day. She didn't have to play Princess today, no one had to see her but friends, and Castle staff. After the boys left, she was spending time with Larmina and doing paperwork. Mostly she was going to try to not miss Lance.

Allura couldn't ignore the email any longer. She opened it.

_I keep thinking about the things I never told you, because I felt it wasn't proper._

_I do so many things now that aren't proper. I am not living a proper life any longer. I am trying to still live an honorable life but it feels like it is slipping away from me more and more._

_I made money last night from gambling, from tricking men and women into thinking I had better hands at cards then them, all because I have a stoic face. I can hide my real feelings behind a mask. I did that with you. I bluffed you into thinking I didn't have feelings for you for years. Then when you finally figured out I did - I figuratively and literally ran away from you._

_I shouldn't have done that._

_I thought you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen that first day on Arus, when you appeared out of the dark on the top of the stairs. You were a vision of light and beauty, something that was hope in all the dinginess. It was you that gave me hope and not Voltron. You Allura._

_I didn't want you to take over for Sven, I didn't want you in Blue Lion just as much as Nanny and Coran. Whenever I could agree with them about keeping you in the Castle and away from battle I would if I could. I didn't want you hurt, it was never because you were the Princess however, it was because I couldn't stand the thought of you being hurt, a little or worse... killed. Or worse than that in Lotor's grip, it was my worse nightmare. I was never trying to keep you trapped inside, Allura. I just wanted to keep you save because I loved you._

_I think your so wise, you understand people and things in ways that is beyond me at times. Beyond so many, your soul is old Allura. You're wiser than a woman of your young age should be, and it's not just being through so much at such a young age because we all have. Your our wise one. I looked to your wisdom to help me lead, your wisdom too my crush on you in the beginning and turned it into love._

_I should have told you these things years ago._

_Everywhere I go, you and Lance are on a magazine cover, the television, a newspaper page. You look happy, happier than I have ever seen you, it's a smile I've never seen. I hate that._

_I shouldn't be doing this._

_I'm going to earth. Manset gave me intel, Early is there. New Orleans. Bourbon Street of all places... Lance can tell you what that means. Lance can tell you - Lance probably told you the second he felt anything for you, didn't he. He never runs from things, does he? Lance flies right into the damn fire, eyes open yelling some cowboy song._

_Until I write again always yours, Keith._

Allura wiped at her eyes and reached for a tissue from the box on her desk.

"What is it?" Lance said, startling her.

She turned and he was just walking into the room, she shook her head and looked at the computer. "Keith, it's..." she sighed and closed the email. "He's not handling us well."

Lance was quiet, he walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "He tell you where he is going."

"Yeah, Earth isn't a very smart place for him, but you're going to tell me it's a good insane aren't you?"

"Yeah," he said.

She blew her nose. "Okay."

"Farla has volunteered to go watch his back. Also I think it will help her deal with her Early memory lapse," he trailed off and Allura picked up how unsure he sounded.

"You're worried about her going underground with him aren't you?"

"She still seems fragile to me, Allura. She was so determined though and I can't argue her points."

Allura grabbed his one of his hand which had stilled on her shoulders. "She's tough, Lance."

"I know."

Allura stood up. "Why are you back here so soon?"

"Oh. Pidge finished Farla's voltcom. Wanna come to the gym and spar with her?" he smiled.

Allura grinned. "Oh, definitely!"

Lance glanced at the computer. "Do you want to tell me what he said?"

Allura shook her head. "I don't think I should."

Lance nodded but she saw him frowning, she kissed him. "He's upset, it's just, I think I need to let him get it out and feel like it's safe. I don't know what else to do for him," she sighed. "He's still Keith."

Lance pulled her into a hug. "I know, I worry about him too, just...he's got you all weepy."

Allura buried her face in his neck, breathed in his scent, the leather that seemed to be a part of him even when the jacket wasn't against his shoulders like now. He had a hand in her hair, gently tugging, while his other hand ran up and down her back. He was being quiet, she knew he wanted to try to cajole more out of her about Keith, but he wouldn't. He'd accept her wish to keep what Keith told her between them. Even if he hated it. It was that he would do that, it was he smelled so good, he still smelled a little bit of her too she thought, and he felt so solid and amazing against her. She was going to miss him like crazy, she thought and she kissed his neck and pulled back before she got all weepy for a totally different reason.

"I fine now," she said. "Let's go find out Farla's weapon!"

~~.~~

Allura could feel Lance's eyes on her backside as she walked out to meet Farla on the mat, Hunk had walked in after her and Lance with Larmina. The first thing out of Larmina's mouth had been when she got her voltcom. Lance had told her when she was older, a lot older, so no not next year before Larmina could ask.

Farla was smiling in the middle of the sparring mat looking at them all. "I still can't believe you guys are giving me a voltcom."

Allura grinned at her. "You earned it, you've done more than enough for us and been through more than enough. And you've volunteered for more."

"I need to remember," Farla said.

Allura nodded.

"Get to the fighting!" Larmina shouted.

Lance laughed but Allura knew he was about to agree with the twelve year old. "Yeah, women, fight!"

Allura lunged forward to find herself trying to grab air, then went to turn but Farla kicked her feet out from under her and she was on her ass on the mat. She flipped up onto her feet, eying Farla, kept more of on her how she fought and they dodged and kicked a few times before Allura got in close enough to grab Farla by the shoulder and slam her to ground.

"Okay!" Lance said.

"Hey, they were just getting started," Larmina pouted.

"That's all the voltcom needs, Larmina," Lance laughed.

He helped Farla up. "Press this button," he said showing her where the button was on his voltcom.

Farla pressed it and jumped a bit when a blue two headed spear appeared in her hand. "Oh, ooh, I love two headed spears."

Lance grinned. "Okay, uh, we got to take off in about ninety minutes. So, Pidge, give her a voltcom run down, I'd like some more alone time with my girl."

Allura bit the inside of her cheek, she wasn't going to think about it yet, she wasn't going to think about how she was going to be stuck on Arus for two weeks, while he was Earth for two weeks. Not until he was gone and he wasn't gone yet. He was right here, in front of her, holding her hand and pulling her outside into the a beautiful autumn morning.

He walked them over to a garden bench, he sat down and pulled her onto his lap, which made her smile and giggle. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," she said.

"That was hot," he said, running his hand down her back, cupping her cheek with his other hand. "Two warrior women fighting, really hot."

"So, there were you, Hunk and Pidge, ogling us while my niece was waiting for blood to start flying," Allura laughed.

Lance shook his head. "Nah, Hunk's always thought of you as a little sister, and Pidge has always thought of you as a big sister. And yeah Larmina wanted blood to start to fly."

"Oh, so only my boyfriend was ogling me and the other woman, who he almost could've..." Allura teased.

"Hey, it's only you, Baby, and you know it," Lance said, kissing her. "But yeah, I was the one doing the ogling."

Allura laughed. "I wanna cry and you make me laugh. I want to go with you, but I have so much to do here, I hate this."

"Hey, it's only two weeks."

"Fourteen days."

"Allura, we'll be fine. We'll talk everyday, we'll be sick of each other's faces."

"I won't be able to smell you, nothing smells like, leather, sandalwood and smoke... I swear the smoke is from Red," she kissed him again, then pulled back. "And you can't touch me."

"I want to touch you, if I could find a way to touch from Earth, I would."

"Oh, I know you would," Allura said, she leaned down and kissed him, pushing open his mouth with her tongue, deepening the kiss, it grew out of hand, soon she was straddling his lap, wanting to grind down on him then and there. The only thing stopping her was she was right outside her own Castle, near a path people walked by on all the time. She was open about their relationship but not that open.

"Why did we get out of bed," Lance moaned.

"Xara," Allura whined.

"And Pidge," Lance said.

"Right."

"And Xara is probably moving things from your room to mine," Allura groaned.

"Crap," Lance said.

Allura moved off his lap and sat next to him on the bench, as close as she could get. "Any ideas?"

"Plenty," he said, looking at her with devious eyes.

She blushed just seeing the mischief in his eyes.

He stood up, grabbed her hands and started off at a run, she flew off with him trusting him completely to find them a private place to say goodbye.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Farla sat at the bar, sipping the fizzy water the bartender had given her after she'd asked for water. When she'd said she'd simply like a glass of water, he'd given her an odd glance, sighed and then came back with the glass, with a little dish full of sectioned off lemons and limes. She recognized the lemons and limes, from Arus, Lance, Pidge and Hunk all always squeezed a lemon into their glasses of water. Allura she'd seen squeeze a lime and a lemon in hers, then smile at her and say it was a habit the boys gotten her into. She wondered why, this water was fizzy. She wondered why. It tasted the same, more or less, it just bubbled and fizzed, the combustion of it tickled her nose. Out of curiosity and since Keith was keeping her waiting, something Lance had warned her about, she picked up one of the lemon wedges and squeezed it into her water, then she pushed it up and down with her straw like she'd seen Pidge do with his, as she'd been usually sitting next to him.

She took another sip from the glass and was pleasantly surprised with what the tart citrus did to the fizzy water, there was always a reason for things, she thought. Like why Keith was making her wait. Lance said he'd sent back a response to not have Farla come, they sent back to him that it was happening too bad. And so it went, then they sent the details for the meet up.

When Lance had dropped her off, he'd made sure she had her voltcom around her wrist, in camouflage mode, ready and able. It felt comfortable knowing she had it around her forearm, in this unknown land, Earth was very different from Lyra. This place, this bar, with its music. It was full of people, sounds, smells and things so foreign to Farla. It was exciting, and she'd been waiting for an hour. Lance after making sure she was voltcom ready, had given her two envelopes, one for Keith and one for her with money in it. "For whatever you may need, things come up," he said. Then he'd told her to give Keith three hours after the set up time, he'd show up because he wouldn't be able to leave her alone in an unknown city, in an unknown situation. Didn't matter if he was angry and didn't agree with the team overriding his order that he didn't want her help, his nobleness would win out. He was in a mood lately that was all.

Farla nodded. A mood, that mood was one colossal broken heart from what Farla had put together from her time in the Castle. She'd heard maids, she'd heard Pidge and Hunk. She'd heard Lance and Allura. She'd been told point blank by both Lance and Allura he wasn't handling it all that well. She'd lost a crush and a fantasy, Keith lost a solid tangible woman he'd thought he had a chance of a future with. Farla couldn't imagine. She did hope though he did see that she would be an aid to him in his search for Early here in New Orleans, and in possibly understanding what Early was up to when it came to the Lyran Rose, and whatever it was he was doing with it here.

It was summer in the northern hemisphere in America, Farla had found New Orleans humid air to feel a lot like home, like her own planet; David Early had not picked this location by mistake.

Farla felt a presence behind her, she smelled a thick heavy musky scent of cologne mixed with something herbal and smoked. Her nose wrinkled and she waited for the inevitable, she'd been here for hour and half, three men had walked up to her already. Her niece and her mother would be telling her to take advantage and find a husband. Farla just wanted to punch them all in the face.

"You don't look like you belong here," the man said, he had a thick accent, one Farla had been hearing a lot on the street and in the bar. It was local she thought, something that distinct to this area of the world.

She turned toward him, this man looked older than her own father, he had dark eyes and looked liked he spent most of his time in the sun. He had a gray hat on and a matching jacket and a thin, white rolled paper with the herbs she could smell smoking with in them hanging out of the corner of his mouth. He was looking at her, he was looking at her like he was trying to decipher something.

"I belong," Farla said.

"No. No. You aren't an Earthling, you're from another planet. It's quite obvious if you know how to look. And you've never left your planet before."

"You're wrong," Farla said, smiling, thinking about the many times she'd left Lyra for runs to Pollux, Arus, visiting the Alliance Space Station over California here on Earth."

"Been to Earth before?"

"Why do you assume I'm an alien?"

"Because you are," he said.

Farla sipped more of her water and shrugged, it wouldn't hurt to give him one.

"Fine. I'm not of Earth, but I have been to Earth before."

"Not here before though."

"No, does it matter."

"You don't belong."

"I think I belong fine."

"You'll be eaten alive," he said, his eyes narrowing, he's expression changing, his body shifting.

Farla saw it all, her fighting instincts kicked in and her defensive instincts went to work, she shifted herself on her stool subtly, she didn't want to tip this predator off, who thought she was some dainty female out of her element. She figured out the line of his body, what was his aim. He was going to rush forward, smash her against the bar, face first and try to take her two bags that sat at her feet. She read it all in a second, because if you didn't learn to read an opponent quickly you dead, you had to fight fast and quick. Lyra had had many wars, all over opposing views on what or how was best for the Rose. Or who was best to rule the planet of the Lyra Rose.

She'd fought in one, starting at ten and ending at fifteen, it's how she'd become a leader, the Lady Farla, the one who lead the men who fought, who served, who were the protectors of Lyra. Who were the Guardians.

She shifted again, this time brashly, she moved forward, into the man's space. Her glass in her left hand she brought up right under his chin, but kept her face passive. "Who will eat me alive?"

He smiled the smile of a snake if Farla had ever seen one. "I maybe misjudged you."

"Maybe, I think you want to go somewhere else, don't you?"

"Still, though, I have this gun here," he moved his hand, which he'd had in his pocket.

Farla eyed him, it could be a bluff, it could be the truth. She glanced around, the bar was so noisy, so busy, the patrons and the staff both so raucous no one would notice anything. She activated her voltcom, thinking small, hoping that voltcom would understand that she wanted a smaller version of her actual weapon. As she thought it, a small spear with one sharp point appeared in her hand, so she could easily cut through the man's pocket. "That a six shooter?" she asked.

"You know about old Earth guns?" he said, eyeing her weapon.

"I like weapons." Farla said.

"I see," he said looking at the spear. "Still gun, versus spear, little lady."

"Gun versus spear and sword," a male voice said, and a point of a sword appeared at the man's forehead.

Farla fought the urge to roll her eyes. Lance had also told her that the main reason Keith's nobility would win out is that Lance was sending her to a bar where eventually some idiot was going to try to rob her. Lance knew she would be able to handle it on her own. It was all petty thieves with guns who couldn't fight to save their lives. But Keith would show up just make sure she would would left alone and leave the bar unscathed, but if she got in any trouble, he'd be out there playing hero within second.

Farla hoped her team and her friends didn't find her nearly as predictable. She deactivated her voltcom, picked up the bags and got up. "Lovely meeting you," she said to the man who tried to rob her. "You saved me another hour and half of sitting, thank you." She looked at Keith, he looked awful she thought, he'd looked better the last time she saw him and he'd been in her jail cell. "Let's go."

He withdrew his sword, turned toward her and reached to grab one of her bags. Farla stepped back. "I got them," she said.

"Fine," he snapped and he started a swift pace through the thick crowd, towards the back of the building, Farla walked after him, keeping up easily, and hitting a lot of people in their butts and backs with her bags. She heard quite a few new words because of this shouted behind her, but she couldn't really worry about it, at least she'd finally made contact with Keith.

Keith opened a door, she followed him through it and it led up a rickety set of old stairs, that came out on the buildings roof. She followed his up. He walked to the edge of the roof and pointed. "We have to jump to that one."

Farla nodded.

"I can take the bags," he said.

Farla rolled her eyes. She stepped as close to the edge of the roof she could, swung her right arm and threw that bag over to the other roof. Then she did the same with the first. "I think that works just fine, don't you? Pidge said you'd have all my computer needs on the ship, so he just sent all my files onward in one of the daily encryption updates he sends you."

Keith's answer was to jump over to the roof.

Farla took a deep breath, she wasn't being fair. The doctors hadn't wanted her to leave Arus, Allura had to come in and get all Princess on them. Farla was physically healthy, she was fit and in shape. It was purely a traumatic memory issue and she believed that working with Keith on trying to find out what Early was doing with Wade would help her. Farla already was sure that she'd seen something important in regard to whatever it was, and it had something to do with Lyra's roses and the Lyran Rose was what Farla had given an to protect with her life.

Her nurses had been worried, they'd all been coddling her and making sure she was okay and save and even though Lance had put her in a seedy bar, had a plan to flush Keith, before Keith himself would flush himself out, he'd even been totally over protective in his own way the entire flight to Earth and when he said goodbye.

She jumped over and picked up one of her bags and walked over to Keith. "Look, I'm sorry, I just got out of the hospital wing of Arus, Lance was being a mother-hen. This bag is a bit heavy, I have almost all the books on Lyran folklore in existence in here, feel free."

Keith sighed, grabbed the bag and nodded. "Lance a mother-hen? That bar gets a high number of young tourists who think they are getting a taste of the real New Orleans, and then they get robbed."

"It was part of Lance's plan. He figured it was going to be that, or you finally realizing you couldn't leave me alone in New Orleans tracking Early on my own."

Keith sighed. "I like working alone."

"Right, Keith. You're the commander of the most tight knit group of people I've ever seen. If you don't miss them all, you need a psychologist way more than I do."

"Still no memory?"

"Not a clue. But I have some intuitions, some ideas. I think its connected to Lyran myths, Lyran faith maybe even. Why I have all the books. What I do remember is the sense of my whole world being profoundly shaken by what I saw, and the need to rush to Arus to tell Lance and Allura."

"Huh?" Keith said as they reached the edge of another roof. "We have four more after this, by the way."

Farla nodded.

~~.~~

Lance hadn't been his room for two seconds when he got summoned to Wade's office. Now he stood in the man's office, watching the man feed a baby lion with a bottle. If he didn't have to stand at attention and follow protocol he'd be wiping at his eyes, closing them and counting to ten and wondering what the hell he was seeing. But yes, he was watching Wade feed a lion with a baby bottle.

The lion sucked out the last of the milk and then Wade abruptly and rather harshly tossed the lion to the floor. Lance jumped in his skin as the thump it made when it hit the floor, and he waited expecting the lion to growl or hiss or jump back on Wade pissed off at such treatment. But nothing happened at all, in fact the little lion walked over to a black pillow that Lance hadn't noticed before and curled up in a ball on it.

"Larkin, sorry, but had to keep to its schedule, if I don't it won't training would have to start over...now, why did I summon you here at this hour."

Lance wanted to know himself, it was nine o'clock in the evening, Wade was known not to want to deal with anyone after five o'clock unless it was emergency, or diplomatic business. Especially not school business, Lance was praying it wasn't another special ops mission.

"Oh, right, of course. I'm promoting you."

"What?"

"Not in rank, too soon for that but in position. You are now the Head Instructor of the entire Flight Academy."

"What?"

"The position opened up and while DeRose and I were looking over all those qualified to take over the position you kept coming out the most qualified. You start tomorrow, I think that your predecessor left you some notes and instruction. Ferris was behind the idea, in fact he was the first to suggest you. I wasn't so sure at first, but them more I looked at applicants and looked at them against current instructors, you are the best for the job. Go figure, but there it is. Congratulations."

"Uh, thank you," Lance said, his head spinning, the whole damn flight instruction academy, that was a lot more responsibility, that was insane. Was he crazy, this was crazy. He breathed out and waited for Wade to dismiss him.

"Why are you still here, Larkin?"

"You haven't dismissed me, sir," Lance said, not hiding his smirk.

"Dismissed."

Lance turned and left the room and stood there right outside Wade's office wondering what the hell to do now. He'd been about to go over his classes schedules, see what the substitute had written down about the cadets, what notes she'd made for Lance. See if the woman was a good instructor for replacing for when Hunk couldn't do it, there would be other times the both of them would be going home to Arus, or Hunk might want to go see his family while Lance was on Arus with Allura.

But the whole Flight Academy, running all of it. That meant having a hand in every damn class, even the ones he didn't teach. That meant having hand in who got into the Flight Academy, checking out hopefuls, and seeing if they had what it took. And a lot of paperwork, more paperwork than a few classes took. So that plus all the classes he taught.

Crap.

He turned right, the opposite way to his room in the dorms with the kid, but towards the tarmac and where the Head Flight Instructor's office was located. He hoped there was a very detailed how to manual there, and an apology from Ferris for suggesting him to DeRosa and Wade. DeRosa was technically in charge of the Academy, but Wade was a control freak and had his fingerprints over everything. Especially the Academy, to make sure he got the soldiers he wanted out in the field. Ones that wouldn't think for themselves, Lance thought, shaking his head. He wasn't going to let that happen.

The light was on in the office, he knocked on the door. He heard some knocking around and then a door opened. Ferris stood there, his wrinkled face hidden behind a bushy yellow-gray beard and his blue eyes hidden behind smudged glasses. "Ah, Lance. I was expecting you."

"I bet," Lance said, walking in and looking around. Lance rarely saw Ferris. He met him his first day and Ferris said he'd only call him into his office if he had an issue. He'd never seen the guy again. Lance had thought a time or two about checking in with his actual boss, if you followed the direct chain of command but something would always come up and get in the way. So Lance just kept up with his classes, sent in his paperwork and tried to keep up with it with everything else that kept going on with his undercover work and Wade's special assignments.

"Long time, no see," Ferris said with a wink.

"Uh, yeah, and since Wade said you told DeRosa and him you wanted me to succeed you, I guess that's a good thing?"

"Your the only instructor on this staff worth a nickel. Worth more than a nickel. Worth more than your paycheck," Ferris sighed. "At least in flying. Oh, how I wish I could've met you before Wade and the others locked up those Lions. Would've asked for ride and a little bit of time at the throttle of that Red one, maybe the Black one too."

Lance grinned. "Would've let you, sir."

"Yes. Yes. I don't quite know why you are here, Lance. But I doubt it's because you're loyal to Wade. But I've been watching you and your third year here, it's starting. You've made Thrace get her head out of her ass, she still can't fly for crap but she's teaching better. Still wish she could be fired, but since she's a pet... Well, maybe you can do it. Wade seems amused by your insubordination, now doesn't he. You're the first one he's chosen I can't quite figure out why he has. It's a dangerous game with you, though isn't it?"

"How so, sir?"

"He must think you are loyal to him, or he wouldn't trust you so much. Well if you can say he trusts. Yet, why would he trust you? And then you, you argue with him and most of the time you manage to make him look a fool; I saw that whole thing on Xios, live on my TV screen at home with my wife. Was home sick, we were in our living room, watching. She loves the formal affairs on the TVs, gets to see what the royalty is wearing, the handsome princes. The old bit. There you and Princess were arguing with him, then there you went and crash landed. I was quite worried though, the minute you opened your mouth. Wade's a pilot himself, not a bad one either, why he ignored you..."

"I'd say pride. He helped build that ship."

"Heh. Yes. Well I watch things around here, go about here and there. Yell at the flight instructors, who need it. Thrace, Gilbert, Howarth. Sergeant Garrett, now he was good at the teaching, he just sucked at the paperwork, so I gave him a schooling there."

Lance nodded. "He mentioned it, said he liked you."

"I liked him. This guy you had sub for you this time, this Lieutenant Dennison. She was in one of the last classes I taught, the ones you took over. She was my best, but meek which held her back. Just why did you choose her?"

"She was with me on a mission to retrieve Quinn, out of the people Wade sent with me, she was the best. I think she's been working on that meekness, she took control when both Thrace and I were out commission for a bit."

"Good, good." Ferris finished putting a few things a box on the desk and he picked it up. "Wade is a strange man, he recently bought himself a pet lion, did you see it?"

"I did, sir."

"If I were him and I had the keys he has, I wouldn't keep four of them a desk drawer in his home office, to take out to show off at home parties. I'd be going to Arus and joyriding; though I suppose Princess Allura might not let the man keeping her planet's defender out of commission do so, huh?"

"No, sir," Lance said, doing his best to remain stoic.

"Wade is quite a fool though, I like watching you make a fool of him. Why he keeps letting you...that intrigues me. Yet you remain do remain so loyal, don't you? Not a flaw in your record, twice now you've tried to bring in your old friend Quinn. Yet the rest of you stay loyal to the Alliance, as a whole, if not Wade's every word. I think that is the key isn't it Lance? You're loyal to what is right. Yeah, good hands I'm leaving the future pilots in, if you could open the door.

Lance turned and opened the door the office open.

Ferris stepped outside and then turned around. "Now the office is all yours. Don't worry, you'll do fine. You'll let in the right cadets and weed out the wrong ones, and make sure someone good is ready to take over; if by chance you need to leave for some reason... Goodbye."

"Goodbye," Lance said.

Then he stood where he was, watching Ferris shuffle away until he got on the elevator, before he took off in a run to go find Pidge and/or Hunk to tell them what he just heard about the Lion Keys; forgetting entirely about his promotion for the moment.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Pidge sat at a table alone in a quiet Indian restaurant, with two computers open in front of him on his lunch break from the Garrison. He frowned at the image of Sky Marshal Wade's home that was on the one to his left, staring at its security gate; Wade had it secured like it was The Void. He was almost amazed the man didn't have it sheathed in some sort of protected stealth technology.

Wade and his wife, were always driven in and out by another driver, they never drove themselves. If they had company, it was always small parties, nothing over ten people. Always hand invitations given out and only once a month, from Pidge's investigations into it so far. Wade was a technogeek himself, a computer genius of some repute that had his own programs, his own designs and he'd designed the systems protecting the house himself. Pidge was trying to hack in, via the computer in the restaurant, which he'd just bought at a Radio Shack, with Den money that couldn't be traced to anyone, wearing a blonde wig and pink dress.

He'd felt like a fool.

But he'd do anything to get Voltron back, and he'd do anything to ensure it never came back to him, Hunk or Lance. He was getting no where though, even though he'd loaded the mostly empty computer up with his own programs and he was decoding as fast as he could Wade's encryptions and attempting to get past his firewalls. It was just too much, he needed a better computer, a better system, one he couldn't buy at a Radio Shack, one he couldn't just build in a day. He needed a system like they had on Arus, in the Control Room, that main control was the best CPU in the Galaxy. Pidge shut down both the computers and put them in his bag and pulled out a third.

He'd work on what he could work on, his underground Voltron game, he wanted to get online soon, start to see what might happen. It was almost ready, he logged on and got his avatar ready and then pinged Felix on Arus. Soon enough an Avatar of Red Lion that Felix had been using came on along with a chat screen. He typed in quickly the glitches he'd he'd hoped he'd worked out and what he wanted them to try out for the day.

~~.~~

Allura walked into Willa Teanee's classroom, empty desks filled the room giving a slightly haunted feeling as a wind blew through the open windows and made a pencil or two left behind on the desks roll across the surfaces. Allura, glanced at them as she walked toward the desk where Willa was sitting, looking frustrated as she held a paper in her hands. Allura grabbed the other adult sized chair and sat down.

Allura had decided to allow Larmina to attend the local village's public school, all her educational needs would be met there and Larmina would be with the friends she'd already made. It had felt like the right more. So Willa was now Larmina's teacher, not just a tutor.

"I hope that paper isn't Larmina's," she said, even though she knew she was there to discuss her niece. Willa shook her head. "No, this isn't Larmina's. Larmina's papers are much more imaginative, if not complete fiction at times, this is just painful," Willa put it down and wrote an F on the top, then a we need to talk after class underneath it. The she put it face down in a pile.

"Princess Allura, Hello."

"Just Allura is fine," Allura said.

Willa nodded. "Larmina has been especially disruptive in class lately, she won't sit still, she won't listen. The only time she's anything resembling a good student is her Physical education, which I don't teach but I asked Ms. Mandow if she was having issues. Her issue there is Larmina is too into the game of the sports being learned and played that she's rather cruel to the losers. Also, right now we are covering the Arusian Civil Wars, the various Civil wars that have been fought between the different sections of Countries and counties on the planets. She's quite interested in war strategy, and weaponry as you know, I'm sure. But she needs to focus on her Ancient Arusian, Math, English and Science as well."

Allura nodded as she took it all in but she really didn't know what to do about it. Telling Larmina she had to do this stuff was a waste of energy. Allura had never reacted very well to being told she had to study this and that, instead of fighting to protect her planet. Granted she had been older than Larmina by then, but if she'd had more choices of what to do at twelve, she would have spent less time studying then she was sure.

At twelve, Allura had Coran, Nanny, and mice. She spent a lot of time studying what Coran and Nanny wanted her to learn, it was of the only ways she had to spend her time. She daydreamed about being able to go outside, about being able to play by the lake, to be able to dance, or just to read a book for fun.

When more freedom came to her, in the form of the Voltron Force, of them needing her to be part of the team, it had been amazing freedom. It'd made her rebellious, or made her realize she was rebellious. She understood why Larmina didn't want to still, she didn't know what to do or how to make her see she had too though.

"How bad are her grades?"

"Well her History grade is improving, due to the subject we are in now and will be in until the end of the term. It's a C now, she could pull it up to an A, B+. Gym, with Mandow is an A but she does worry about Larmina's zeal to win and her attitude toward the losers. Her grades in everything else is a C- or a D or worse, Allura."

Allura sighed.

"You seem a bit lost on what to do," Willa said.

"I am, yelling at her rarely does any good. Forcing her is impossible. She'll just rebel more," Allura said, shaking her head. "I don't know."

"Punish her. Take away something important and don't give it back until she brings up her grades. She'll drive you crazy, probably hate you but it's your only move. Take something away until she earns it."

Allura listened but she didn't like, Larmina had already lost so much in her life, and Allura wasn't blind, Larmina had been better behaved with Pidge, Hunk and Lance home and then the minute they were all gone again she'd started to act out more again. It was them coming and going. It was Keith's birthday present arriving late, because he wasn't home and he forgot and he sent it late. Larmina didn't like them being gone, or them coming and going. Allura came and went as well.

Larmina. Larmina needed more stability. Allura needed to figure out something.

"Lance coming up this weekend?" Willa asked.

Allura blinked and Willa came back into focus chasing the worry for Larmina to the back of her mind, for the moment. "Sorry, what?"

"Lance, is he coming up this weekend?"

"No, he can't. Something to do with the Academy. He'll tell me tonight when we chat."

"Vid?"

Allura nodded.

"It's been a few months now, hasn't it."

"About four, or so," Allura said. "But I don't really think about it that," she admitted, thinking it had happened so quickly and simply she almost felt like it'd been forever and no time at all. New and old, all together and a part of her truly thought of their first official date as their official cementation of being a couple.

That was the date that mattered. She smiled to herself and stood up. "Is there anything else."

Willa shook her head. "Just try to get her to focus, she needs to do her homework, study, pay attention in class."

Allura nodded. "I'll talk to her."

As she walked out of the room her voltcom beeped, making her stop just outside the door to Willa's classroom. As she went to push the button to see if it was an email or someone calling her directly her purse fell to the floor. Allura sighed.

It was an encrypted email, an encrypted email from Keith. Allura sighed, she'd set up her computer to forward any more emails from him to her voltcom. He'd sent a few more since the last one, they were all similar. He was broken, and she didn't know how to respond to any of them.

And he was starting to get angry about from the latest one.

_Allura,_

_Talk to me._

_You always talk to me._

_I didn't talk to you. I avoided you but you sought me out. You tried to make us happen and I screwed it up, would have really screwed it up._

_Talk to me, answer this, answer this time._

_Allura, you're the only one I can turn to do to help me through this and I know it's unfair but it's true._

_Keith._

Allura closed her eyes, she had to write an answer tonight. After she had a talk with Larmina. Then she had to climb into a bed that would be empty and cold. Allura shook her head, she cleared her mind, she wasn't going to have a pity party or bemoan her life. She was lucky, she was happy and everything was going to be okay. There were a few down spots, Lance was too far away, Keith was broken and she had no idea how to raise Larmina but her planet was thriving, and she'd finished all her boring Princess duties for the day.

Maybe before she talked to Larmina she'd take an Inferno out for a spin, fly around the planet, see Arus from space from the cockpit, land up on the volcano, go to her and Lance's spot and sit for a bit to clear her head. Kneeling to pick up her purse, and every thing that had falling out of it she decided that was what she was going to do.

Which is when she ended up eavesdropping.

A cellphone rang but Allura realized it was Willa's soon enough, because it wasn't any of her ringtones, so she went back to collecting her stuff for her purse. She heard Willa answer her phone because the doorway was still open.

"Hello...yeah, I have one more parent coming in then done. No, Princess Allura already came in. No no Lance... Oh god, tell me about it, I wish he was still available... Princess Allura? No way, she's too vanilla, I doubt it will last, Lance will get bored, you know what I mean... Hahahaha."

Allura stood up having collected everything that fell from her purse, took a deep breath and told herself that Will was jealous, she'd admitted in that conversation to wanting Lance, so it made sense she'd want to believe Allura couldn't keep Lance. It was only somebody's opinion, it didn't mean anything and it didn't harm Allura in anway unless she let it and she wasn't going to let it. She wasn't.

She had more important things to think about. Larmina, an annual dinner party with three of the bigger families who had been instrumental in the rebuilding of Arus during and after the war with Doom; helping with rebuilding the culture, agriculture and keeping in mind the Old Arusian architecture the people of Arus seemed to have wanted. They were from the three main continents of Arus. It was one of the few times of the years she saw the Ambassadors from Altea and Falan in person, rather than a holographic representation of them. She enjoyed the dinner party, with the extended families. Which brought her thoughts back to Larmina, she was going to have to squeeze the twelve year old into a dress, as well as talk to her about her school work and keeping focused on it.

Allura sighed as she left the public school building, and walked to the car that was waiting for her in front of the school, opening the door to the back she slipped inside and sat down with a rather large sigh. The driver, didn't say a thing, which she was thankful for and started back for the Castle. Allura stared at her voltcom and fiddled with the button, the button she could use to call Lance, she felt a sudden need to hear his voice. All he'd need to say is hi, and she'd probably already feel better. She knew where she stood with him, she thought with a smile, he told her things no one else knew or could ever guess at. Only her, she smiled at the secret knowledge, at knowing she had his whole heart.

It was a bit of a power trip, she thought, she loved it when it came to Lance. She felt guilty about it when it came to Keith, her smile faltered, as she continued to fiddle with the button, trying to decide if she should try to contact Lance or not. The time difference between Arus and Earth, where Lance wasn't too great, but he might be teaching which meant he couldn't answer and she wanted his real voice, not his voice mail. She wanted to really talk to him too, about Larmina and about how to handle Keith - she knew she had to respond to him soon but she wasn't completely sure what to do. Allura wasn't even completely sure she should be asking Lance about it, but he was her best friend, she always asked him about things like this.

Allura sighed, it was all so complicated, when she'd made her choice a part of her had somehow thought that it'd become less complicated. She stopped fiddling with her voltcom and sat back instead. They were at the Castle less than two minutes later, she thanked the driver and got out of the car and walked into the Castle, decided to use the stairs to get some exercise, realizing she didn't have time to go out in the Inferno like she'd been thinking of doing earlier, the stairs would have to do for exercise and freedom for the day she thought.

She walked out into the control room and up to the two young lieutenants on duty. "Can you tell me where my niece is, please?"

"Of course Princess Allura. Princess Larmina is in the recreation room," one of them said after checking the console.

Allura nodded and walked out of the control room took the shortest way to the recreation room, remembering when it was where she would always find the boys, all four of them, resting and hanging out. Each of them doing their own thing in there yet being together as a whole. She missed them, she wanted her whole family back. She opened the door and found Larmina watching some entertainment gossip show, as she lay upside down on the couch throwing her football up and down in the air and catching it.

She was about to clear her throat to get Larmina's attention when the annoying Finley Granger got hers instead. "Now the story everyone has been waiting for, the poll results on what our viewers things about the longterm chances for Princess Allura of Arus and Commander Lance Larkin of the Galaxy Alliance...10% of those polled are undecided. A whopping 57% believe they will break up before their six month anniversary, and 33% think it's true love... Let's see what quotes people left us when they sent in their votes. Oh, here is a good one, this is priceless. 'I've dated Lance Larkin no way that ice princess is hot enough for him!' My oh my. Then we have. 'He's too much of a bad boy for Princess Allura, before he went rogue I would have said she should've gone for Keith Quinn if she wanted a Commander. I think she should wait for a good steady Prince.' After the break we'll hear about the those who think it's true love."

"It is true love you stupid MORONS, for the love of SNART, stop with the damn rubbish my Aunt isn't good enough for him and he's not good enough for her!"

Allura pushed it all to the back of her mind, it was just tabloid crap anyway, stupid tabloid crap. She cleared her throat. "Larmina, language. You need to go pick out a dress."

Larmina somersaulted off of the couch and then stared at Allura agog. "I have to wear a dress for bad language usage. That is cruel and unusual punishment doesn't the Alliance frown on that?"

Allura had to use a lot of inner strength not to laugh at that reaction. "No, that is not why you have to wear a dress. We have a formal party to attend."

"Oh. Oh, that's tonight? Those are so boring, Aunt Allura!"

"Yet we have to go," Allura said. "Go start getting ready, we have less than two hours to be ready. A car is being sent for us, by the families. We're meeting them at the Grand Arus Hotel."

Larmina frowned.

"Wear your gold crown," Allura reminded her.

"Yeah, yeah," Larmina mumbled.

Allura watched her walk away toward her room and thanked the universe for small favors that Larmina was in a corroborative mood - at least for now, Allura smiled and turned around to go start to get ready herself.

~~.~~

Keith held the binoculars to his eyes, scanning the section of Bourbon street near a strip joint, a cigar shop and a bar called the Ginger where the pictures Manset had given him had been taken. Where Early had been seen; Keith was positive that if he just waited it out Early would show up again then Keith could start to shadow him.

It was boiling in New Orleans, well over ninety degrees and that wasn't counting the humidity. Keith was wearing shorts and a tank top and he was drenched in sweat, he found himself missing Xios and its cold of all things. He shook his head, focused and told himself to forget the heat and humidity.

He jumped in his own skin when a tall take out drink of lemonade appeared out of nowhere next to where he was laying on his stomach, spying. He cursed, to himself in his head, then he saw Farla's feet, sandal clad and he noted the soft soles but still she should not have been able to sneak up on him like that. Especially holding a lemonade full of ice, then he heard her drinking through a straw, make that two lemonades, and how had she found him anyway.

"You should wear lighter colors, dark colors like that you're just asking to be hotter," Farla said as she sat down next to him, crossing her legs underneath her and absently picking up the surveillance photographs of Early he had out in front of him to ensure he had the exact right spot.

"I'm fine."

"Drink," she said simply, staring at the photograph she held.

Keith realized he was looking at her, at how her eyes went pinpoint focus on the picture, and he was no longer looking through the binoculars looking for his target. He frowned, but before he went back on task he did take a few sips of the cold lemonade, he was rather hot and thirsty. Then he went back to staring.

"These pictures were taking at night."

"Doesn't mean he won't show up during the day."

Farla made a noise. Then she stood up, and started to turn in a circle, Keith couldn't see her but know that she knew she was there he could hear her. It was subtle, her footfalls were soft, she herself in her breathing was quiet, Farla was probably the quietest person he'd met since Sven.

"I'm going to that roof," she said, and he removed the binoculars to see her pointing, then with them looked to where she was pointing. The highest roof in the area, he nodded. "Why?" he asked.

"I want to see if there is somewhere near by where Lyran Rose will bloom, the heat and humidity here are perfect for it. He did pick the right location," she said and then she was gone.

Keith went back to waiting for his prey and watching for the binoculars, she knew where to find him and he knew where she'd gone. Farla had made it clear she could handle herself, and he wanted to left alone. He'd thought he'd managed to be alone for the day but she'd tracked him down, he was going to have to figure out how she'd done that. So if he wanted to lose her he could, in the future.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Lance walked into his office, his new office, and saw a woman sitting on his desk holding a bunch of files. She was wearing a black pantsuit and there was something familiar about her but he couldn't quit see her face due to the way her head was turned, and the shock of long dark hair that hid her face.

"Excuse me?" he said clearing his throat.

She turned around and gave him a wide welcoming and very familiar smile. "Hey," I was just putting these on the desk for you, they're just a few directions, kind of the schedule the old man and I did things on, how we worked it all out, had everything running ship shape. Though, since you're teaching four classes on top of all of this, we're going to have to figure out a few tweaks."

Lance walked around her, to sit down and he picked up the sheets she'd let fall onto the desk. "You know, when you told me you were a personal assistant, I don't recall you mentioning that it was for an Academy professor, let alone Ferris."

"Does it really matter, Lance?" she asked.

Lance read over things, his head already showing signs of a headache at the sheer amount of paperwork, phone calls, meetings, and miscellaneous bullshit he was going to have to deal with to do this job, on top of everything else. If Wade still asked him to go off on special missions, how/who was going to cover for him? He looked up at his new PA. "So, Sally?"

"Yeah?"

"Exactly how much do you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I have a busy schedule already, I don't stay here every weekend, and when I am here on weekends, I'm busy. And Wade, Wade has a habit of..."

"Sending you away on Need to Know missions? Yeah, I'm aware of that, they made Ferris intrigued every time."

"Right, so can you cover this adminstration crap when I'm gone?"

She rolled her eyes. "In my sleep."

"Uh, huh, so you can cover it while I'm here?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not doing your job for you," she said. "But I can do what I can to make it easier."

Lance nodded. "You need to make it easier," he started writing on the pages in front of him, the times of his classes, the time he needed right after them to deal with what happened during them; and the time he took out of everyday to connect with Hunk and Pidge. It was mandatory, by his own orders, if she asked why he needed that chunk of time he'd tell her need to know. He handed it back. "Those hours, have to be easier. It's nonnegotiable."

Sally read it over, frowned but then sighed. "Fine. I'll do what I can, but you may have meet me in the middle a bit, when you are around here, Lance."

Lance nodded. "Also, what do you know about my power."

"You're power?" she asked, an amused smile on her face. "Well, I know a bit but then we only dated on and off for about two months, a year ago and then I just never heard from you again..."

Lance had really hoped she wouldn't mention the fact they'd slept together, at all, let alone call it dating because that really wasn't what they'd done. He squirmed in his chair and cleared his throat. "I mean, do have say in who teaches what, firing, hiring?"

"You mean can you fire Erica Thrace," Sally said.

"Yes."

"Well, technically yes, but she's a Wade pet."

"So."

Sally eyed him. "Yeah, you really don't give a damn do you?"

"No."

She shook her head. "Okay, try it, see what happens. I'll put an advertisement out for a replacement."

"No, I know who I want her replacement to her. Tech Sergeant Hunk Reyes, you know what the red tape and official channels are on that to make that happen?"

"DeRosa's qualified him as a Substitute for you whenever you are gone, making him a full fledged teacher won't be much of an issue," Sally said. "I'll get the paperwork together."

Lance nodded. "Good."

"So, you're ignoring our Elephant."

Lance rolled his eyes. "It was over a year ago, Sally."

"You gonna love and leave the Princess of Arus too?" she asked, her tone light, teasing, completely flirtatious.

"No," Lance said, dead serious standing up and looking Sally in the eye. "I'm going to marry her. We aren't going to flirt, well as much as my personality allows for no flirting. What we are going to do is have a good friendly working relationship. Got it?"

He held her gaze, waiting, hoping it was sinking in, she seemed serious enough about the work, but she'd been doing the flirty body language thing since he walked in as well as the tone of voice. The last thing he wanted to deal with was a PA that was constantly flirting with him, he'd have to get a knew one and this one knew more about his new job than he did, he really didn't want the hassle. He was an inherently lazy guy, after all.

Sally slipped off his desk, stood straighter and nodded. "Okay, I'm sorry. It's just all the television and Internet shows, plus the tabloids..."

Lance arched his eyebrows at her. "Tabloids."

"Okay, bad source, but no one is really taken this relationship long term serious. They think your a rebellious phase."

Lance chuckled. "I know, but what they really know about Allura couldn't fill a thimble."

"Will, will I get to meet her?"

Lance cringed inwardly, great now he had to have a talk with Allura about his assistant was one of his sexual romps but she was also a big fan... he checked the urge to roll his eyes at his life. "I'm sure it will happen, Sally."

"I'll get to work on the Sergeant Reyes paperwork as well as Thrace. You'll have to tell her in person, and really, Wade might come down here. It happened when Ferris tried after her first evaluation performance. Wade made him keep her."

"Wade's not making me do a thing, he acknowledged I was the only possibility for the job, he's listening to me," Lance said. "I have to go teach a bunch of third years that they really know crap about flying, now, so catch you later."

Sally chuckled. "I'm sure they'll be delighted to find that out."

"They always are," Lance laughed as he walked off to the first class of the new semester. He had fresh meat, it was always his favorite class of every semester. The first time he had third years facing him, thinking this was it, the class when they finally got to set foot in a real spacecraft and really fly. He made them go in simulators. He had to, they're lessons before him were way to subpar, he had to catch them up to at least the minimum of basic knowledge before he could let them fly the real thing. It was always an interesting first month, where he weeded out those who should have been weeded out already, and figured out who really had the natural talent, and who could learn to be a great pilot.

~~.~~

David Early hated humidity.

He grabbed the cloth he had sitting in ice water, and wiped his face off with it, then placed it on the back of his neck again. He'd had his hair buzzed off, he looked like he belonged to the Alliance military himself, more than the damn soldiers that stood guard around the compound Wade had built for them just outside New Orleans Lousiana to continue their research on the Lyran Rose and it's mythical properties, it's relations to water and the possibilities of use of its pollens being merged with wiring for mechanical craft.

David was struggling still with the mythological, he'd done it only once and he'd managed that with manipulation and trickery. He'd hypnotized Lady Farla, he'd done it a few times, without her knowledge. A parlor trick he'd learned in college to help him impress girls, he was very adept at doing it without her knowledge, he'd then ask her to translate, or more simply explain the Lyran myths that his scientific brain was having to much of a struggle understanding, as he tried to take his science and merge it with the mythologies that Wade had pointed him towards, was still pointing him towards.

He'd found one ancient myth in a tiny tiny book, Farla had brought him, saying she'd found it at the bottom of a very old box, in the very back of the library archives and she hoped it helped. It was the one that most closely matched the perimeters of what Wade had told him to look for, had told him he wanted him to duplicate with the machinery he building with the pollen-merged wiring - it was turning out to not be so simple though. The Lyran Rose was more than one pollen, it had many pollens, coiled together, it's petals held energies as well. The scientist in him had brought that into the equation and Wade had been exited but he still wanted David to find the myths, find them and merge them with the science.

David Early was trying but he'd thought Wade crazy. It felt like magic to him and magic wasn't real, but he had to try to do it or Wade would make him a mockery in his field, ruin his reputation and his world. Therefore, David had started hypnotizing Farla to better understand the folklore, the music of Lyra that they held so dear, almost as dear as the Rose itself. He had her read the myths, outloud and explain them. He'd then let her think, she'd just been in the labortory during boring guard duty the entire time like she was supposed to be doing.

It'd been fine, until he'd had her read the myth from the tiny tiny book, the one that matched one of Wade's myths almost exactly. She'd read it, explained and he'd left her in her hypnotized state and asked her to go through it more slowly. As he applied the myth to his science, because suddenly he'd seen science in myth, he understood that the myth was true and someone at some other point and known the energies located in the core and even the stem, and the petals of the flower, and how it could be accessed and then used to create power...

And she spoke and he worked, what happened had shocked them both. He'd been dumbfounded because it'd been magic, he had no other way to define what he'd done. He'd done something magical, it was all he could think. Occult science, he could never put it on his resume. The world would think him crazy. He'd been so shocked by it and lost in that thought he hadn't noticed that Farla's own shock at what had happened in front of her had someone knocked her out of her hypnotized state.

She gasped, he turned, she pointed and then she screamed, then she was running and running. He ran after her, but she turned on him, fighting him like the leader of the Guardians she was, fearsome and ruthless, the bruises had faded but he still felt the one on his throat that had bruised his vocal chords for weeks. He'd heard her mutter Arus, Princess Allura, must know.

And he couldn't allow that, it was far too dangerous, Princess Allura couldn't know, if she found out what he'd done, what Lady Farla saw, they'd know Wade was looking into the ancient technology that ran Voltron, that he didn't fear it like he claimed. It could lead to all sorts of investigations.

He had helped Wade sabotage the Lions, he was in too deep, Wade could use him as scapegoat, his career could not just be ruined, he could be made a pariah. The man that made it look like Voltron was a danger when it was not. He'd made her own people chase her down.

It was too bad she hadn't been killed.

He was thrilled though her mind was a muddle. He was sure it was due to the hypnotism she never knew about.

David sighed, the problem was try as he might to recreate the moment he and her together had made on Lyra, he couldn't. Something was wrong, he wasn't grasping something as he looked at the words on the page. His translations of the Ancient Lyra language was off, his ability to understand it wasn't strong enough. He sighed. He needed another mind like Farla's, someone poetically, someone who believed in myth and magic.

He was near New Orleans. How hard really would a young woman, with an easily manipulated mind be? The only issue would be teaching her the Ancient Lyran language. But he had some time, it would go faster if he hypnotized her for the teaching, then he could have her read the myth in it's original form and translate. It was worth a try... It was the best he could do.

Wade had given him two months on his own, anyway, then he was coming down to breath fire down Early's neck. Like it wasn't hot enough under his collar. Early sighed.


End file.
